TCU Professional Athletes

Three TCU alumni are commanding attention as NFL rosters take shape this preseason — and the range of fortunes couldn't be wider.

Dylan Horton's Season Is Over Before It Starts

The cruelest story of the week belongs to Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton, who tore his Achilles at Monday's practice and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. The injury is a brutal blow for the former Horned Frog, who was working to carve out a more prominent role in Houston's defensive front. The Texans moved quickly to patch the depth chart, signing DE Derek Parish to fill the void — a transaction that underscores just how significant Horton's absence will be.

Quentin Johnston Flashes the Big-Play Ceiling

On the brighter end of the ledger, Quentin Johnston reminded anyone who needed reminding why the Los Angeles Chargers drafted him to stretch defenses. Johnston hauled in a 65-yard touchdown strike from Justin Herbert in the Chargers' preseason clash against the Rams — a dime-to-speedster connection that was the offensive highlight of a 20-18 Los Angeles loss. The big-play rep is the kind of moment Johnston needs heading into a season where expectations remain high. At TCU, the 6-foot-4 wideout posted 1,069 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his 2022 junior campaign before going in the first round — and flashes like this one are exactly what the Chargers have been waiting for him to deliver consistently.

Tanner McKee Is Winning, But Still Waiting

Perhaps the most intriguing subplot on the TCU alumni board is unfolding in Philadelphia. Tanner McKee has outplayed veteran Andy Dalton — also a TCU alum — through two preseason games, yet Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni insisted this week that "it's still a competition" for the QB2 role. The declaration raised eyebrows. Fan and media sentiment has swung firmly behind McKee, with some corners of the Eagles beat going as far as to say Dalton "just isn't very good" at this stage of his career. Sirianni's reluctance to hand McKee the job officially keeps the storyline alive heading into the final preseason stretch, but the on-field evidence is mounting in the younger man's favor.

It's an unusual dynamic — two Horned Frogs competing directly for the same roster spot — and one that gives TCU fans a rooting interest no matter how the final depth chart shakes out. Howie Roseman's eventual decision on what to do with Dalton may be the more interesting front-office question as the Eagles finalize their 53-man roster.

---

Three alumni, three completely different preseason arcs. For Horton, it's about recovery and what comes next in 2027. For Johnston, it's about proving last week's 65-yard burst is a preview, not an outlier. And for McKee, it's about whether performance alone is enough to close the deal in Philadelphia.

It was a rough Tuesday in Santa Clara for TCU alumni. Three Horned Frogs on the Los Angeles Chargers roster — center Tyler Biadasz, wide receiver Quentin Johnston, and linebacker Kyle Kennard — all left the team's joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on August 18 with injuries. For a fan base already tracking a deep roster of NFL alumni, the timing stung.

The most serious concern appeared to be Biadasz. The veteran center went down after 49ers defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez fell on his left leg during a drill, a freak collision that immediately drew attention on the practice field. Biadasz's status beyond that session was not detailed in initial reports, but the nature of the injury — a low-body hit from a falling lineman — raised legitimate flags about his availability heading into the regular season.

Kennard, a linebacker, also exited practice early, adding to what became a genuinely difficult afternoon for the Chargers' roster overall.

The silver lining in an otherwise grim day for TCU: Johnston's injury was not the disaster it briefly appeared to be. The third-year wide receiver limped off the field and drew immediate concern, but a follow-up report from Yahoo Sports indicated Johnston was "totally fine" after leaving practice. For a receiver still working to establish himself as a go-to option in Los Angeles, clearing that medical hurdle quickly was significant news.

Around the League

The Chargers weren't the only place TCU alumni made headlines this week. In Green Bay, wide receiver Savion Williams went down with an ankle injury during the Packers' preseason win over the Denver Broncos on Friday. Williams, competing for a roster spot, can ill afford time away from the field with final cuts approaching.

In Philadelphia, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton found himself at the center of a different kind of story — a roster bubble one. Reports surfaced that the Eagles are more likely to trade Dalton than backup competitor Tanner McKee this summer, a development consistent with a separate account noting that neither quarterback separated himself during Saturday night's preseason action. Dalton, one of TCU's most decorated NFL alumni, may be playing out his Eagles tenure with his days in midnight green numbered.

In Washington, offensive tackle Brandon Coleman continued to draw film-room attention from Commanders analysts, with detailed all-22 breakdowns circulating of his preseason work against the Miami Dolphins. Coleman's performance has been notable enough to merit individual study — a positive sign for his chances of earning a role on the offensive line.

The week was a reminder of how broadly TCU's NFL footprint has spread — from starting centers in LA to backup quarterback controversies in Philadelphia to practice-squad battles in Green Bay. The Biadasz situation will be the one to watch most closely as the preseason winds toward its close.

Brandon Coleman Steps Into the Spotlight in Washington

The biggest TCU story this preseason isn't a skill position — it's a 300-pound lineman quietly becoming one of Washington's most important players.

When Laremy Tunsil went down and needed surgery, the Commanders didn't panic or scramble for a veteran stopgap. Head coach Dan Quinn named Brandon Coleman the starter at left tackle outright, passing over options like Josh Conerly Jr., Andrew Wylie, and Nicholas Petit-Frere. That's a significant vote of confidence — and the numbers back it up. According to Yahoo Sports, the Commanders have gone 12-6 in games Coleman has started at left tackle, a track record that makes the transition feel far less alarming than it might otherwise be.

Coleman's emergence as a reliable blindside protector has been one of the quieter success stories in Washington over the past two seasons, but Tunsil's injury brings it fully into the light. With the Commanders carrying legitimate playoff ambitions, keeping their quarterback upright behind a proven commodity matters enormously. TCU's offensive line pipeline continues to pay dividends at the NFL level.

Joint practices with the Miami Dolphins have also given Coleman a chance to sharpen his edge against quality competition, and early camp reports suggest he's handled the assignment without a hitch.

Savion Williams Makes His Move in Green Bay

Up in Green Bay, second-year wideout Savion Williams is seizing his moment. With two of the Packers' top receivers nursing injuries, Williams stepped into expanded reps during practice and delivered. Per Yahoo Sports, the TCU product made multiple big plays on Sunday, flashing the playmaking ability that made him a draft-day investment.

Williams' situation is a classic preseason proving ground: when the depth chart opens up, you either take the opportunity or you don't. Through the early portion of camp, Williams is taking it. Whether that translates to a larger role in the regular season remains to be seen, but he's made the coaching staff pay attention.

Quentin Johnston and Jack Bech Round Out the Horned Frog Haul

Over in Los Angeles, Quentin Johnston is dealing with a minor injury that has kept him limited in Chargers camp, though the team characterized it as nothing serious. Johnston — a former first-round pick — enters this season with something to prove after an uneven rookie campaign, and any missed practice time during the preseason is worth monitoring even if the prognosis looks fine.

Meanwhile, fellow Horned Frog Jack Bech had a moment worth rewinding in Las Vegas. Bech hauled in a touchdown pass from Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza during Mendoza's preseason debut — the first NFL touchdown pass of Mendoza's career. It's a small-sample preseason moment, but for a young receiver competing for a roster spot, catching a highlight-reel TD is never a bad way to spend August.

---

Four TCU alumni in four distinct storylines: Coleman anchoring a contender's offensive line, Williams carving out a larger role, Johnston staying healthy enough to matter, and Bech making memories in Vegas. Fort Worth is well-represented this August.

TCU's NFL footprint stretched from contract limbo to coordinator praise to disciplinary drama this week, with three Horned Frogs generating headlines across training camps.

Avila Waits While a Peer Gets Paid

Steve Avila's situation in Los Angeles is getting harder to ignore. O'Cyrus Torrence — drafted in the same round and same year as the Rams guard — just secured a contract extension, putting a spotlight on the fact that LA has yet to act on Avila's deal. The Rams have developed a pattern of putting off extensions at the guard position, and Avila is now the most visible casualty of that organizational habit. For a player who has established himself as a cornerstone of the offensive line, the silence from the front office is conspicuous. Avila and his camp will be watching how the Rams respond to the optics of a direct peer getting paid first.

Dabney Earning Raves in Green Bay

The best news out of the TCU alumni file this week belongs to Drake Dabney. Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich didn't mince words during his first training camp availability, singling out the tight end as the most improved player in camp. That's a significant endorsement from a coordinator speaking publicly for the first time this preseason — it's not a throwaway compliment. Dabney now has a genuine opportunity to carve out a meaningful role in Green Bay's offense. Getting praised by name from the offensive play-caller during camp is exactly the kind of momentum a developing tight end needs heading into a roster-bubble situation.

Newton in the Doghouse in Cincinnati

Josh Newton's training camp in Cincinnati isn't going according to plan. The Bengals cornerback is reportedly in the "doghouse" with the coaching staff, an early-camp red flag that echoes friction from a year ago. The details behind the disciplinary situation haven't been fully specified, but the characterization carries weight — coaches don't use that language lightly, and it suggests Newton needs to quickly recalibrate his standing before the preseason schedule begins to matter. For a player with starting-caliber potential, the timing is bad. Newton has the talent to be a legitimate contributor in Cincinnati's secondary, but camp credibility is hard to rebuild once the label sticks.

---

Three TCU products, three very different training camp trajectories. Dabney is rising, Avila is waiting on money that figures to come eventually, and Newton is doing damage control. The next two weeks of the preseason will go a long way toward determining how each story resolves.