Breaking Down the Frogs: The Quarterbacks
7/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 28, 2003
This is the first of a series breaking down the Horned Frogs by position. TCU players will report on Wednesday, August 6 with the first practice scheduled for Thursday, August 7. The veterans are expected to take to the practice field at 8 a.m., while the rookies' first practice session is slated for 2 p.m. on the 7th.
Gary Patterson: "We'll be solid at quarterback if Tye Gunn comes back fully healthy and stays that way. We feel a little better about Brandon Hassell entering the fall camp. Because Tye couldn't go through the spring, we found a number two guy in Brandon who could run the offense. We felt very comfortable about where we ended the spring with him. We're excited about finding out what the young quarterbacks coming in can do."
Make no mistake, Tye Gunn is the leader of this offense. The Frogs averaged over 40 points per game when he was at the helm a year ago, and that was against the likes of Louisville and Southern Miss. A knee injury cut his season short, but all signs indicate he will be back at full strength this fall. Still just a sophomore, Gunn runs the offense like a veteran with a calm, business-like demeanor. A terrific competitor, he demands excellence from himself. Gunn has the strength to throw the ball deep and yet can make the touch pass easy to catch. Blessed with good size, he has a knack of knowing when to bring the ball down and has good feet.
Junior Brandon Hassell is the most veteran signal-caller in the Frogs' camp. In his fourth year in the program, Hassell was forced to take the majority of the snaps in the spring with the injury to Gunn and, as he gained confidence, impressed the coaches enough to be considered a solid number two entering the fall. Hassell possesses great feet and is an excellent student of the game.
Jeff Ballard enters the fall third on the depth chart. The redshirt freshman showed improvement in the spring after working with the scout team all last fall. He could become a factor as he gains maturity.
Walk-on Kyle Kummer had a solid spring and will push Ballard for the number three role. Kummer is regarded as a smart player who sees the field well.
The Frogs added a trio of quarterbacks to their stable on signing day in April. The most highly touted of the threesome is James Battle from Denton Ryan High School. Battle is a combo run-pass guy, who recorded a 42-4 record in three years as a starter, including a pair of Texas state titles. Chad Huffman is a two-sport star who will also play baseball at TCU. Huffman comes from a great lineage, as his dad, Royce, Sr., played football at TCU from 1969-73 and brother, Royce, Jr., was an all-conference performer for the Frogs in both football and baseball from 1995-99. Brian Bonner, an excellent athlete who passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for nearly 2,500 more at A.C. Jones High in Beeville, could also figure in the mix or could be moved to another position to take advantage of his athleticism.
