FORT WORTH, Texas — Chandler Morris gets his moment in the spotlight Saturday.
The TCU Horned Frogs quarterback entered the 2022 season as the team's starter, but he was hurt in the opener against Colorado, giving way to Max Duggan's magical run leading TCU to the National Championship Game.
But Morris, a sophomore, is back in the saddle this season, and he'll get another crack at Colorado when Deion Sanders brings his Buffaloes to Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
So what do we know about Morris?
For one, in the limited time he's been on the field, he's shown why he's earned the starting job in consecutive seasons. He also grew up in a football family – yes, his dad is Chad Morris, the former SMU and Arkansas coach who's now an offensive analyst at Clemson. And Morris, like many players who were in school for the COVID era, has plenty of eligibility left, despite this being his fourth year in college.
Here's a look at the Frogs' signal-caller:
Where is Chandler Morris from?
Morris grew up with his father, Chad, coaching at various stops, including Stephenville High School, the University of Tulsa, Clemson, SMU and Arkansas. But it was the Dallas suburb of Highland Park where Chandler first made a name for himself.
He led the Scots to a 16-0 record and a Class 5A Division I state title in 2018, earning championship game MVP honors in the process.
Where was Chandler Morris before TCU?
Morris, a three-star recruit out of Highland Park, attended Oklahoma as a freshman, seeing action in a handful of games. He also had offers from Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Boise State, according to his recruiting profile on 247 Sports.
What's he done at TCU?
After his freshman season at Oklahoma, Morris transferred to TCU for the 2021 season. The Frogs got the best of both worlds for Morris' development at quarterback: He was able to play in four games but also preserve his redshirt season, meaning the year didn't count toward his four years of eligibility. His first year at Oklahoma also didn't count toward his eligibility, or as a redshirt year, because of the extra year the NCAA gave athletes due to COVID-19.
Morris still flashed his potential in 2021, totaling 531 yards of offense in his first start against Baylor.
Why didn't Morris play in 2022?
Sonny Dykes – who, ironically, replaced Morris' father as SMU's head coach in 2018 – took the TCU job after the 2021 season. Heading into 2022, Morris won the starting job over Duggan in fall camp and entered TCU's season opener against Colorado as the starter. But a knee sprain in the third quarter knocked Morris out of the game, and Duggan took over. And Duggan never gave up the job, leading TCU to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Morris returned from injury but played sparingly behind Duggan.
Duggan, a senior in 2022, had one extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, but he opted to leave college for the NFL.
Oddly enough, Morris, despite being just a sophomore this year, was only a year behind Duggan in school. But now, if Morris stays at TCU for the rest of his eligibility, he could play for the Frogs through 2025.
What should we expect from Morris in 2023?
Morris will take the helm of Sonny Dykes' Air Raid offense, so don't be surprised to see Morris sling it across the field. But TCU's offense is also likely to rely heavily on the run, with new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, who had strong run games at Arkansas and Baylor.
Morris can scamper, too: In his 2021 game against Baylor, he rushed for 70 yards, and he also had 635 yards rushing as a senior in high school.
In an interview with The Ticket in Dallas, Dykes described Morris as an incredibly accurate mid-range passer, whereas Duggan might have had more success throwing down the field.
Either way, Morris is eager to hit the field.
"I'm just super excited," he said at TCU's press conference this week. "I'm a competitor. That's all you want to do, just get out there and compete with your teammates. It's been a long time coming. I've learned a lot, and I'm very excited."
Why does Morris wear No. 4?
One last note on Morris: In his press conference this week, he explained why he switched his jersey number to 4 this year. Morris was previously No. 14 and No. 2 for TCU, but decided to go back to No. 4, the number he wore growing up.
And he wore it honor of Jevan Snead, the former college quarterback who died in 2019.
Snead played for Morris' father at Stephenville High School and babysat Morris when he was a kid.
"That was kind of my dad's first quarterback that he coached that I fell in love with," Morris said at the press conference this week. "He had a big impact on my life ... I've always tried to be a No. 4."
