FORT WORTH, Texas � On paper, the TCU defense looked to be one of the most experienced in the country for 2016.
Seven starters returning, plus two more from 2014 who had to miss part or all of last season, and two others who also began last season as starters before injuries knocked them out.
That potentially gave the Horned Frogs 11 returning starters among 14 veterans with a start at some point in their careers. The idea of so much know-how in coach Gary Patterson's hands made the Frogs a preseason favorite (second in the Big 12 media poll, No. 14 in the USA Today coaches rankings).
But that was a week ago.
Things change.
Leading tackler Travin Howard has not practiced because of an "emergency-type" medical issue, Patterson said Thursday. Defensive ends James McFarland, back from a broken toe that sidelined him last season, and Tipa Galeai did not practice Thursday. Cornerback Ranthony Texada, who missed 10 games last season because of a knee injury, is still adjusting.
"Right now, we don't have everybody," Patterson said. "All the freshmen are playing in our two-deep because everybody's hurt."
The head coach shrugs. He has been through this before. He cautioned earlier in the week that the defense is not as experienced as it may seem.
But there is no turning around. The defense is going to be ahead of the offense for a while, Patterson said. So the Frogs must make use of all their options to make that unit a strength.
"Every year is a different story," McFarland said two weeks ago on the eve of fall practice. "Every team has a different story. I'm not going to compare this defense to that defense _ it wouldn't be fair. I will say this defense has its good points and its positive points. I will say this defense is very athletic, we definitely have a lot of chemistry. We're looking for more leadership, as far as people stepping up, growing up. But that's what two-a-days are for. We're going to go in, we're going to work hard, we're going to see what we come out with."
At safety, Denzel Johnson and Nick Orr are returning starters, and Kenny Iloka, out with a knee injury in Week 2 last year, will aim to regain his starting spot. He was listed behind Orr at weak safety on the post-spring depth chart.
Junior college transfer Markell Simmons and sophomore Niko Small are listed as co-starters at free safety. Ridwan Issahaku started five games last season.
Then there's the shaping of cornerbacks. Texada started 13 games as a freshman and three as a sophomore, but the other starter out of spring was redshirt freshman Jeff Gladney, who has never played in a game. TCU had bright hopes for Julius Lewis, who started four games as a freshman last year, but he's missing the season because of an injury suffered shortly before the start of spring practice.
The backup corners are Tony James, a sophomore who was a receiver last year, sophomore DeShawn Raymond, junior Steve Wesley and freshman Vernon Scott of Mansfield. All four, like Gladney, are untested.
"From the way we go in practice, with what our offense does and the number of reps and the situations they're put in in practices, typically that's going to be harder than a game situation," defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow said. "We're going to push them and put them in some of the hardest situations throughout these next three weeks and help grow them up as much as we can."
Orr, a former cornerback, is one of the players who means versatility for the coaches.
"He can handle the inside receiver of people like Oklahoma, Baylor and Oregon, and we don't have to worry about them running by your weak safety because he can go vertically with them," Patterson said. "Any time you can play base defense without having to make that adjustment, just because of their athletic ability, it makes it a lot easier on the guy calling defense."
On the defensive line, Patterson is leaning on ends McFarland and Josh Carraway, two seniors who have each led the team in sacks. But senior defensive tackle Aaron Curry is getting pushed for his job, and junior Chris Bradley has already been passed, Patterson said.
And it's only been one week.
Still, the players who have been at TCU the longest have seen it before. There are many of them. Like Patterson, they will adjust.
"Whenever he has people that have been there, done that, who are used to the system, used to playing and practicing the way he wants us to play and practice, it makes everything easier for him," McFarland said. "Most definitely, having us, having a lot of people who are older, who already have been through everything we do, it helps."
