TCU’s 2024 spring roster preview: Markis Deal
HornedFrogBlitz continues its 2024 spring roster player preview with defensive lineman Markis Deal next up.
TCU spring camp begins just two days from now, with practices beginning on March 23. The Frogs are hoping to rebound from a dismal season in 2023.
The team lost some crucial players from a year ago, but it also returns a large number of players with solid experience on both sides of the ball.
As camp approaches, HornedFrogBlitz is previewing each player on the roster in numerical order and providing expectations for each of them.
Next up in our preview is redshirt freshman defensive lineman Markis Deal, who will wear No. 95 on defence for the Frogs this season.
Position: Defensive Line
Class: RS Freshman
Ht. 6’5″ Wt. 315
2023 Stats: Four games played; two tackles, 0.5 sacks.
Deal has played in four games over his college career.
Deal was the top prospect in the Frogs’ 2023 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, Deal was rated a four-star, the No. 78 overall talent in the country, and the No. 11 defensive line prospect. He was considered the No. 11 overall player in Texas. He selected TCU over 40 other programmes, including Georgia.
Deal played four games as a freshman in 2023, keeping his redshirt status. He recorded a half-sack in the Frogs’ 41-6 victory over Nicholls. Deal also competed in games against Houston, Texas, and Oklahoma.
This is a crucial spring camp for Deal since he’s poised to move up the depth chart. Deal, who played largely on the third or fourth team last year, saw some substantial reps during fall camp before being redshirted.
Deal will mostly play nose tackle, working behind veteran and All-Big 12 defender Damonic Williams. Deal should get lots of reps this spring and has a good chance of making the two-deep roster.
He clearly has a large nose, but he also has a good wingspan and knows how to attack and protect with his hands. He also has a quick initial step. All of these characteristics contributed to his recruitment as an offensive lineman in high school.
For the time being, I believe Deal will have a successful spring season. He worked hard during the offseason and is eager to make an impact. He won’t defeat Williams, but he’ll make an excellent backup. According to new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, there will be plenty of rotation on the defensive line if the appropriate individuals are identified.