Everything Colorado football fans need to know about the 2025 TCU Horned Frogs
Then, newly hired head coach Deion Sanders led his team, featuring new additions Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, into TCU's house and escaped with an improbable victory. The game ignited a media frenzy around Colorado, vaulting the team into must-see television every single week.
It's been a long two years since that game, and much has changed about the two programs. Shedeur and Hunter are now NFL players, while TCU has completely rebuilt its roster back into a team that can contend for a Big 12 title. These two new-look programs meet each other in Amon G. Carter Stadium in week six of the 2025 season.
Fresh off a contest with BYU, Colorado will be heading into a true hostile environment for the first time all season. Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs will be fresh off a bout with the defending conference champions, Arizona State, revealing how well they can keep pace with the top of the conference.
Opponent Previews: Georgia Tech, Delaware, Houston, Wyoming, BYU
2024 in review
TCU is coming off a surface-level impressive 2024 season, with nine wins and a bowl victory to its name. A closer look at their schedule reveals that the Horned Frogs weren't particularly impressive last season. They didn't face a single ranked opponent and suffered a blowout loss to the eventual No. 12 seed in the CFP and their rival, SMU.
They were the definition of a slow-starting team, losing three of their four losses in the first half of the season. TCU was often in many of their games, playing in seven one-score games, many of which went in their favor, a mark that will be hard to repeat. The brightest spot of 2024 was, by far, the emergence of quarterback Josh Hoover, who grew into his role at the helm of Sonny Dykes' air raid offense.
The Horned Frogs built momentum at the end of 2024, which they'll need to carry into 2025 if they want to contend for the conference title.
Head coach profile
The Horned Frogs' headman has been coaching football at TCU for four seasons, after he came over from SMU. Dykes' tenure has been a rollercoaster for the program, with its peak being their first victory in the College Football Playoff and an unexpected appearance in the national championship game in 2022.
However, the year following saw the Horned Frogs still hurting from their shellacking in the title game at the hands of Georgia, ultimately going 5-7. Dykes has proven capable of building and leading contenders, but not consistently.
Top offensive player
Entering his third season as the quarterback for the Horned Frogs, Hoover showed an impressive jump in his second season. Despite throwing the ball over 470 times, Hoover completed 66% of his passes for almost 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.
Hoover is a leader in the Horned Frog locker room, reportedly turning down a large offer from Tennessee to enter the transfer portal. TCU is losing Hoover's top three targets from last season, Savion Williams, J.P. Richardson and Jack Bech to the NFL, so more will be on his shoulders heading into this season.
Top defensive player
A preseason All-Big 12 selection, Bud Clark might be the Horned Frog with the most hype, outside of Hoover, heading into 2025. Entering his final collegiate season, Clark has been a staple of consistent, high-quality play in TCU's secondary. For the last three seasons, Clark has totaled three or more interceptions and never landed below the 30 total tackle mark. Coming off a fantastic season last year, the Buffaloes will have to scheme around No. 21 in this matchup.
2025 schedule
Way-too-early Colorado matchup preview
Both of these teams enter with significant question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Colorado's quest to find replacements for Shedeur and Hunter will most likely not be over by this point in the season, and that could cause some huge stumbles for the Buffaloes. The Horned Frogs are replacing virtually their entire offensive skill group, and there are likely to be huge bumps in the road.
Ultimately, the Horned Frogs should get the better of the Buffaloes in a tight contest. While both teams have questions, Hoover's play could elevate a lacking skill group over the hump, mainly if Colorado's pass rush can't produce as effectively as it did last season. If Kaidon Salter impresses early on, I might have to revisit this game, but for now, TCU strikes me as a team with fewer questions to answer.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be backup center amid speculation over NBA future
DENVER (AP) — A backup plan to bring in a backup center to spell Nikola Jokic no longer appears necessary. The Denver Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be with the team when the season starts amid speculation over his NBA future. Denver's trade with Sacramento to acquire the 6-foot-11 Valanciunas for Dario Saric became official last weekend. Leading up that, reports emerged of Valanciunas being courted by the Greek EuroLeague club team, Panathinaikos. It's led to a confusing situation given that Valanciunas still has two years remaining on his NBA deal that would pay him a total of more than $20 million. Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer attempted to tamp down any conjecture over Valanciunas' arrival during a news conference Friday that was set up to introduce Cam Johnson. 'There's been nothing but healthy conversations in terms of him honoring his contract and him excited to be a Nugget,' Tenzer said of Valanciunas. So, no concerns that Valanciunas might not be with the Nuggets to start the season? 'No concerns,' Tenzer said. The trade for the 33-year-old Valanciunas looks to be the icing on a productive offseason that saw the front-office tandem of Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace remodel the team. The moves were in the wake of a Game 7 loss to NBA champion Oklahoma City in the second round. The Nuggets also picked up Johnson in a deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. — a key contributor to their title run in 2023 — to Brooklyn. Denver added Bruce Brown, who was part of their championship run, and shooting guard/small forward Tim Hardaway Jr. Tenzer said they've have had productive talks with Valanciunas, who's slated to play for Lithuania at FIBA EuroBasket this summer. Someone from the Nuggets may even venture over there. 'Their plan is for him to get here sooner than later, but still working through that,' Wallace explained. "We'll approach it at that time.' Valanciunas is coming off a season in which he split time between Washington and Sacramento. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and two assists over 81 games. Denver is counting on him to give Jokic the occasional breather. The 30-year-old Jokic averaged a career-high 36.7 minutes per game last season. A three-time NBA MVP, Jokic turned in a historic season where became the first NBA center to average a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists. His vision and feel for the game could take Johnson's performance to another level. Johnson averaged 18.8 points for the Nets last season. 'His best ability is just understanding where he is in space and where his teammates are in space at all times,' Johnson said of Jokic. 'I find a spot, and there's a high chance that he's going to put the pass on time, on target.' As for where Johnson might live in the Mile High city, he and Porter have chatted about possibly swapping houses. 'I don't know if it will happen, but it's being discussed right now,' Johnson said. 'Obviously, when you get traded, everything's flying around, everything's moving. As the next couple of weeks wind down, we'll start to become a little bit more established in our new markets and figure all that stuff out.' He's already received a warm welcome — and not even in Denver, either. While the former Phoenix Suns forward was having breakfast in Arizona, a table of Nuggets fans recognized him and wished him luck. 'The reception has been incredible,' Johnson said. 'It has been really positive for me. Just a chance at winning is something that I really relish and something that I'll do everything in my power to contribute to.' ___ AP NBA:
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Where Colorado ranks as a championship contender according to College Football 26
College Football 26 has been out for a week, and if you haven't had a chance to get the game and you're a college football fan, I suggest you do so, as it's well worth your time. We have dug into everything the game has to offer, from top dynasty rebuilds to the best teams and player ratings. With dynasty being one of the most popular modes in the game, we have also explored individual ratings for the Colorado Buffaloes and how the program compares to the rest of the Big 12. If you want to win a title with the Buffs, it would be wise to know the ins and outs of the program, especially what top recruits look for in their school. We've examined CU's campus lifestyle grade and its stadium atmosphere. But with those elite recruits, they often want a chance at a national championship, so our next dynasty deep dive takes us to College Football 26's championship contender grade. How does Colorado, which lost Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, compare to its Big 12 rivals when it comes to championship likelihood? Let's find out. What is Colorado's College Football 26 championship contender grade EA Sports gives the Buffs an "A-" grade, which to some might be a surprise considering the immense roster turnover. The grade is relative to the rest of the country and takes into account both the team's performance in the polls and the overall quality of the roster. When you first begin a Colorado dynasty save, Colorado's media poll rank is No. 35, and their Bud Elliot blue chip ratio is 16%. Those are the two primary factors that determine the grade. Colorado's championship contender grade is tied for 12th in the country with Illinois, Texas A&M, Louisville and Clemson. Where does Colorado's championship contender grade rank within the Big 12 The four and five-star recruits that you will need to land to win a national title likely won't be committing to your program if the contender grade is low. So, where does Colorado's "A-" mark fall among the other Big 12 schools? These grades are shocking when considered in the context of real life. UCF, with a better national title shot than Utah or Kansas, would not be my prediction heading into the 2025 season. Additionally, Colorado being the only program to receive a grade higher than a "B+" seems like a slight to the players on Arizona State, Kansas State and Utah. Then again, it's just a video game, but it's fun to see how College Football assigns the various dynasty grades. Based on the above rankings, it sure seems like taking over Colorado would be a wise decision if you are gunning for a championship in Year 1. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be backup center amid speculation over NBA future
DENVER — A backup plan to bring in a backup center to spell Nikola Jokic no longer appears necessary. The Denver Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be with the team when the season starts amid speculation over his NBA future. Denver's trade with Sacramento to acquire the 6-foot-11 Valanciunas for Dario Saric became official last weekend. Leading up that, reports emerged of Valanciunas being courted by the Greek EuroLeague club team, Panathinaikos. It's led to a confusing situation given that Valanciunas still has two years remaining on his NBA deal that would pay him a total of more than $20 million.
