TCU stays mostly at home for Big 12’s biggest and best signing class
TCU stayed mostly home in the Lone Star State for what so far is the largest and best signing class in the Big 12.
At the start of the early signing period Wednesday, TCU announced 29 signees, with 20 of the 25 high school signees being from Texas. That class included a league-high matching six players listed as four-star recruits by 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
Baylor also has one of the top classes in the Big 12, bolstered by a six-game winning streak to end the regular season that probably helped them hold on to a few guys that might have started looking to other schools when the Bears were 2-4.
Colorado and coach Deion Sanders also had six signees who were four-star recruits, along with eight three-stars to give them the No. 4-ranked class in the Big 12, behind Kansas State.
The two teams that will play Saturday in the Big 12 championship game — league newcomer Arizona State and Iowa State, were in the middle of the pack. The Sun Devils ranked seventh in the league, and the Cyclones 11th.
While TCU ranked first in the Big 12, that was 23rd nationally, according to 247 Sports, putting the Horned Frogs behind 12 Southeastern Conference teams and seven from the Big Ten.
Second-ranked Big 12 team Baylor was 34th nationally.
Leader of the pack
For the first time, TCU has the Big 12’s top-rated recruiting class.
Coach Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs had a strong showing after winning five of their last six games for an 8-4 record, a nice rebound after going 5-7 last year in the aftermath of being the national runner-up during the 2022 season.
“Big day for TCU football,” Dykes said. “It’s amazing how quickly all of this has changed, typically it would take place in February and now we’ve gotten our entire recruiting class signed.”
Dykes said 20 of the signees will enroll early and be on campus in January.
Best of the rest
Baylor four-star signees included a pair of linebackers (Kaleb Burns adn Kamauryn Morgan), two running backs (Caden Knighten and Michael Turner) and receiver Tax Williams Jr.
Bears coach Dave Aranda said the regular season-ending surge was important before signing day to show they were getting back on the winning track.
“I think just about everybody was waiting for us to prove it, wanting us to show everybody,” Aranda said. “I can think of countless guys that want all of this to be true, want the relationships, what the quality people, want everything Baylor offers. And then, to be a really effective, winning team. So, to finally see it, and then to see that, ‘Hey, I can be a part of it and take it to the next step,’ is something they were all very much waiting for it.”
Kansas State had the third-best class in the Big 12, and its highest-ranked signee was top tight end Linkon Cure, who stuck with his earlier commitment to stay in his home state after also considering No. 1 Oregon.
The 6-6, 220-pound Cure, from Goodland, Kansas, was considered the second-best overall prospect in the state and the top tight end nationally. He had 1,049 yards and 17 touchdowns receiving this season, and ran 208 times with six more scores.
Star of the class
Quarterback Julian Lewis from Carllton High School in Georgia had committed to Southern Cal before the 2023 season, but after visits to Colorado in June and October, switched his commitment to Colorado in November and signed Wednesday.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Lewis has started every game the last three seasons for his high school. He has more than 10,000 career passing yards, this season throwing for 3,272 yards and 44 touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
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