FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – TCU coach Gary Patterson often expressed frustration last season about his receivers, with their inconsistent performances and quite a few dropped passes.
On signing day Wednesday, the Horned Frogs added some potential help with a pair of four-star receivers who played their senior seasons not too far from the TCU campus: Jalen Reagor from Waxahachie and Omar Manning from Lancaster.
The Frogs had 21 players in their signing class, including four with four-star ratings.
Patterson was able to put together another solid recruiting class even after the Frogs’ second losing season in four years – they were 6-7 with only eight scholarship seniors last fall. TCU was 23-3 in the two seasons before that, including a share of the Big 12 title in 2014.
Other things to know:
Top 25 Class: No.
Best in class: Shawn Robinson, QB, DeSoto, Texas. Robinson, the 2016-17 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, is already enrolled at TCU after leading DeSoto High to its first state championship in December. Accounted for 4,855 total yards and 47 touchdowns as senior.
Best of the rest: Reagor and Manning. Reagor, rated the No. 2 receiver in Texas by 247Sports, had 50 catches for 967 yards and 14 TDs as a senior, while also running for three scores and passing for another. Manning had 78 catches for 1,413 yards and 20 TDs the past two seasons.
Late addition: Michael Onyemaobi, DB, Temecula, California. Originally a California commitment, he made his final official visit to Nebraska last weekend, but signed with the Frogs on Wednesday after Patterson had already met with reporters to discuss the signing class.
One that got away: Tyreece Lott, DE, Ardmore, Oklahoma. After verbally committing to TCU in mid-December, Lott changed his mind after an official visit to Oklahoma less than two weeks ago, and signed with the Sooners on Wednesday.
How they’ll fit in: Three of TCU’s senior starters last season were on the defensive line, so Patterson added five defensive linemen and another player listed as a linebacker/defensive lineman. Reagor and Manning could contribute immediately, though initially they likely will be catching passes from senior Kenny Hill next fall.