Alabama Transfer ‘High on the List of Potential Playmakers’ For TCU

Getty Alabama transfer JoJo Earle is "high on the list of potential playmakers" for TCU in 2023 according to Bleacher Report's Brad Shepard

The loss of JoJo Earle for Alabama could be a major gain for 2022 College Football Playoff runner-up TCU in 2023.

According to Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard, Earle has the potential to be featured in a Sonny Dykes offense down in Fort Worth. Shepard put Earle high on his speculative list of potential playmakers for TCU this upcoming fall.

“With star receiver Quentin Johnston off to the NFL, the Frogs have a need for catches, and coach Sonny Dykes has to find a quarterback after Max Duggan left, but Chandler Morris should fill that gap,” Shepard prefaced before saying, “You’d better believe Earle will be high on the list of potential playmakers.”

Shepard did acknowledge that list is a long one due to Dykes’ work in the transfer portal, but he also shared his belief that Earle could thrive closer to his native Aledo, Texas.

“With wideout Cordale Russell coming in as a top-shelf recruit and receivers Jaylon Robinson (Ole Miss) and John Paul Richardson (Oklahoma State) and tight end Jack Bech (LSU) now Frogs via the portal, Earle will have some company,” Shepard prefaced before saying, “But he has a couple of seasons to do huge things closer to home, and he will make a splash. He’s a better prospect than the No. 84 transfer player.”

Alabama Recruiting Makes it Hard to Placate Everyone

Having brought in two of the top recruiting classes ever in 2021 and 2023, and upholding a standard of consistent top five classes year in and year out, Alabama’s recruiting prowess makes it hard to placate everyone according to Shepard. The Bleacher Report writer acknowledged that as a reason Earle up and left Tuscaloosa to head back to his home state.

“When you recruit the way Alabama does at every position, you simply can’t keep all the budding stars happy,” Shepard wrote. “The Crimson Tide found that out the hard way this offseason when they lost a pair of receivers to the portal whose futures were bright.”

Earle, as Shepard notes, left a Crimson Tide receiving corps for a TCU receiver room that could offer more opportunity.

“The 5’10”, 170-pound dynamo from Aledo, Texas, flipped from LSU to the Tide in the recruiting process, but he never could get consistent playing time in two seasons in Tuscaloosa, catching 24 passes for 303 yards and a pair of touchdowns,” Shepard wrote. “So, he saw an opportunity in Fort Worth to play on a big stage and perhaps head into a situation that wasn’t quite so crowded.”

Fellow Alabama to TCU Transfer ‘Running out of Chances’

While Earle is heading into his third season at the collegiate level, his fellow Alabama to TCU transfer Trey Sanders is going into his fourth season — and Shepard believes the IMG Academy product may be running out of chances.

With that said, Shepard still sees an opportunity for Sanders to carve out a role in the TCU running back room.

“Sanders has a prime opportunity to be firmly in the Horned Frogs’ rotation,” Shepard wrote. “Leading rushers Kendre Miller and Emari Demercado have both declared for the NFL draft, which means plenty of reps are available. Can Sanders be enough of a threat to prove he’s an every-down back? Emani Bailey should get some run this year for the Frogs as well, and with so many key pieces gone from last year’s national runner-up team, head coach Sonny Dykes has to find playmakers.”

Shepard believes Sanders has the chance to resurrect his career in 2023. “Sanders should have every opportunity to prove he belongs in TCU’s backfield rotation,” Shepard prefaced before saying, “It would be a great story if he can resurrect his career in Fort Worth.”