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Stellar TCU Lineman Duo Draws Attention For Outland Trophy
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- Stellar TCU Lineman Duo Draws Attention For Outland Trophy
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
As the calendar draws nearer to the start of the college football season, the amount of preseason award watch lists keeps growing.
The Outland Trophy, which is presented to the nation's top interior lineman, was part of the latest batch of lists to chew on before the main course of games comes in around a month.
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On this list, two standouts for TCU, one on each side of the ball, found their names among the short collection of nearly 70 players from across the entire nation.
Starting on offense, Ben Taylor-Whitfield saw his longtime commitment and efforts to bolster the Horned Frogs protective line recognized ahead of his senior stint.
READ MORE: TCU DB Jamel Johnson Reveals Championship-Level Expectations for Defense
After three seasons in close-to-home Fort Worth, the Duncanville product turned into an absolute stalwart this past season for TCU.
While lineman do not always get the flashiest stats, a look at the numbers from Taylor-Whitfield clearly show his impact on the team.
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Last year alone, he started at tackle in all 13 games played by the Horned Frogs and racked up 891 snaps. This consistency allowed former quarterback Josh Hoover to develop his passing game and ignited a rushing attack that broke the 100-yard mark nine times.
Taylor-Whitfield will undoubtedly be expected to match this output and possibly even add some on as the Horned Frogs' leader on the offensive front.
Moving over to defense, Ansel Din-Mbuh has drawn eyes all offseason long for TCU after making the switch from Washington State last year and continuing to impress in his debut.
The punishing tackle started in all but one of the team's matchups and tallied 24 solo tackles and got home to the quarterback for sacks twice in those outings.
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A fellow senior, Din-Mbuh will shoulder much of the load not only on the field but as a leader and look to make the Horned Frogs one of the most fearsome fronts for opposing offenses in the Big 12.
READ MORE: Ex TCU Star Earns Rest-of-Season WNBA Contract
While the history of the Big 12 has long been high-flying offense and defense when necessary, the viability of this mindset outside of the league has caused some reevaluation in recent years.
For a program consistently hitting the nine-win mark, TCU could find its breakthrough back to the upper echelon through a dominating presence on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
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Establishing a wall around new quarterback Jaden Craig and allowing the running game led by Jeremy Payne to flourish is a top priority. As well as ensuring that TCU can disrupt any other program from doing the same with a brutal pass rush.
The good news is it seems that the Horned Frogs have the right pieces to do just that in its leaders Taylor-Whitfield and Din-Mbuh.
