TCU Football: Player Spotlight Drake Dabney

TCU Fans meet Drake Dabney, the TE who could have a better season than Jared Wiley did last year.

TCU Football practice / Oscar Garcia Photography KillerFrogs/OnAssignment

It is a tough task for anyone to be asked to replicate what fourth-round pick Jared Wiley did for the TCU Horned Frogs last season. Wiley finished the 2023 season with 47 receptions, 520 yards, and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per reception. Was the safety blanket for quarterback Josh Hoover to end the season and the dynamic play-maker the Frogs needed in the middle of the field, so where will the Frogs find that production this season?

The answer is simple, meet Drake Dabney.

Dabney transfers into the TCU from Baylor, and Frog fans may remember him from this past season when the two rivals played, finishing the game with four catches for 77 yards. Dabney also had the greatest season by a tight end in Baylor history during the 2023 campaign, setting the school record for receiving yards in a season by a tight end with 552, and had the first 100-yard game by a Bear since 1964. He finished the season with a team-high five touchdown passes and was the lone bright spot on a Baylor offense that was at the bottom of the conference.

After being at nearly every fall camp practice, the similarities are striking between Dabney and Wiley, they both possess the verticality and size, while maintaining fantastic elusiveness and hands ability. Dabney has excelled at seam routes and corner routes, and has been a comfortable target for Hoover so far in camp.

Drake Dabney has been named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, presented to the nation's top tight end!#GoFrogs | #BleedPurple pic.twitter.com/UErgAskpmC

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) August 9, 2024

Dabney has already garnered well-earned pre-season hype and was named to the John Mackey Award watchlist, which goes to the best tight end in the country.

While Dabney has big shoes to fill following the performance of Wiley last season, Dabney has the skills to step into the role seamlessly and is poised for a true breakout year.

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