Hello Celebritys

TCU head coach Gary Patterson and the Horned Frog football program have announced the signing of 18 players.



The Horned Frogs’ 2010 recruiting class features a pair of four-star signees as ranked by Rivals.com. TCU has now signed six four-star recruits in the last two classes. The Horned Frogs had just five four-star signees in the previous eight years combined (2001-08).



All 18 signees this year are three star and above recruits.



Sixteen of the newcomers are in-state products with four landing in the final Rivals.com Texas 100. The two out-of-state signees are both four-star recruits: tailback/wide receiver Curtis Carter of Stonewall, La., and tailback Ethan Grant from Coconut Creek, Fla.



Carter and Grant are ranked No. 8 and 34, respectively, for overall players in Louisiana and Florida. Carter is rated as the nation’s fourth-fastest athlete and No. 21 overall athlete. Grant is Rivals’ No. 15 back in the country after rushing for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on a 9.4 per carry mark his senior year. He also averaged over 40 yards per reception.



Cornerback Travaras Battle-Smith (San Antonio) and defensive tackle David Johnson (Argyle) have already enrolled at TCU and will take part in spring practice.



Battle-Smith is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 79 athlete in the nation. Johnson is rated fourth in Texas and No. 31 in the country among defensive tackles.



Tailback/safety Matt Anderson (Vanderbilt) and safety/wide receiver Antonio Graves (Texarkana) are natural athletes who could play on either side of the ball. Anderson averaged 14.1 yards per carry last season, while Graves was the District 16-3A Most Valuable Player as a quarterback and linebacker.



The Horned Frogs inked three defensive backs in Jonathan Anderson (Corpus Christi), Elisha Olabode (Cedar Hill) and Kevin White (Round Rock).



Jonathan Anderson and Olabode are ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, among safeties in the state. They also place 32nd and 54th, respectively, among safeties nationally. Additionally, Jonathan Anderson is the No. 54 overall player in Texas. White had seven interceptions in earning first-team All-State and District 16-5A Defensive Most Valuable Player honors.



Further bolstering the TCU defense will be linebacker Marcus Mallett (Cleveland), defensive end Clifton Murphy (Little Elm) and linebacker/defensive end Blake Roberts (Tyler).



Mallett and Roberts are rated among the top-10 outside linebackers in Texas while ranking 39th and 45th, respectively, in the nation.



Murphy totaled 28 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, his senior year. He recorded 16 sacks over his final two seasons.



Matt Brown (Allen) and Sam Carter (Alief) are a pair of quarterbacks who arrive at TCU with high national marks.



Brown and Carter are rated No. 11 and 23, respectively, by Rivals.com for dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. They rank third and fourth, respectively, in Texas. Brown, the Class-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player, passed for 2,412 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 1,166 yards and 17 scores as a senior.



Chris Hawkins from Channelview was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 77 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 14 receiver in Texas. He had 11 touchdown catches as a senior.



The Horned Frogs’ lone offensive line additions are Farmersville center Michael Thompson and tackle Nykiren Wellington from San Antonio.



Thompson is the No. 4 ranked center in Texas and No. 18 nationally by Rivals.com. Wellington is an all-district selection who played on both the offensive and defensive lines.



New Deal’s Stephen Bryant, who was utilized at quarterback and safety in addition to kickoff and punt returns, will be a tight end at TCU.



TCU’s 2010 Football Signings



Jonathan Anderson (S, 6-1, 196, Corpus Christi, Texas; Carroll HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 32 safety in the nation ... rated by Rivals as the No. 6 safety in Texas and No. 54 overall player in the state ... rushed for 537 yards and four touchdowns on a 9.1 per carry average as a junior ... did not have any fumbles on the season ... totaled 16 tackles and an interception at free safety ... chose TCU over Utah, Kansas and Vanderbilt.



Matt Anderson (TB/S, 6-2, 214, Vanderbilt, Texas; Industrial HS)

Rushed for 338 yards and eight touchdowns on a 14.1 per carry average in four games as a senior before being sidelined by injury ... received academic all-district accolades ... honorable-mention All-State and the district’s Offensive Most Valuable Player after rushing for 1,601 yards and 24 touchdowns his junior year ... was also all-area ... added seven receptions for 97 yards and two scores ... also saw action at cornerback and safety ... team Most Valuable Player in football and track and field ... recipient of Industrial’s Cobra Pride Award ... second-team all-district as a sophomore ... a three-year letterman in football ... also lettered four times in track and field ... a regional qualifier in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 as a sophomore and junior ... also qualified in the mile relay as a freshman ... selected TCU over Utah and SMU.



Travaras Battle-Smith (CB, 5-10, 175, San Antonio, Texas; John Jay HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 79 athlete in the nation ... all-district and All-San Antonio area on both sides of the ball, including a unanimous selection on defense ... rushed for 635 yards and 10 touchdowns on a 9.5 per carry average ... totaled 69 tackles while forcing two fumbles and recovering two ... added two interceptions ... qualified for the state track meet in the 200 meters as a junior ... picked TCU over Baylor and Texas A&M.



Matt Brown (QB, 6-1, 185, Allen, Texas; Allen High School)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback in the country as well as the nation’s fourth-best scrambling quarterback ... also rated by Rivals as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in Texas and the 85th-ranked overall player ... All-State and the 5A Offensive Most Valuable Player after throwing for 2,412 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior ... also rushed for 1,166 yards and 17 scores ... named the district Most Valuable Player and a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth All-Area team ... totaled 6,805 yards passing and 64 touchdowns in his Allen career ... was also All-State as a junior when he passed for 1,973 yards and 27 touchdowns while adding 1,131 yards rushing and 13 scores on the ground ... had 2,420 yards passing and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore ... chose TCU over Arizona, Nebraska, Iowa State and Kansas State.



Stephen Bryant (TE, 6-5, 220, New Deal, Texas; New Deal HS)

First-team All-State safety and district Most Valuable Player ... played at quarterback and safety while also being utilized as the kickoff and punt return specialist ... led New Deal to an undefeated regular season and deep run in the Class A state playoffs ... was also a standout for the school’s basketball team ... selected TCU over Baylor and Iowa State.



Curtis Carter (TB/WR, 5-10, 170, Stonewall, La.; North De Soto HS)

A four-star recruit and member of the Rivals 250 ... rated as the nation’s fourth-fastest athlete and the No. 21 overall athlete ... also listed by Rivals as the No. 4 athlete in Louisiana and No. 8 overall player in the state ... totaled 1,200 all-purpose yards as a senior ... recorded 1,038 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior ... passed for 708 yards and 10 scores while rushing for 262 yards and seven touchdowns ... operated out of a Wing-T offense that accumulated more than 4,500 yards rushing ... lettered in football, baseball and track and field ... second-team All-State in baseball as a junior ... timed at 4.37 in the 40 ... chose TCU over Alabama, Nebraska, Missouri and Mississippi State.



Sam Carter (QB, 6-0, 205, Alief, Texas; Hastings HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 23 dual-threat quarterback in the nation ... also rated by Rivals as the No. 4 dual-threat signal caller in the state ... passed for 1,791 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior ... added 995 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns ... nominated for an Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year award ... passed for 1,759 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior at Morton Ranch High School ... added 1,021 yards and nine scores on the ground ... named the District 21-4A Offensive Most Valuable Player ... had a 54.0 completion percentage (150-of-278) for 2,085 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a sophomore ... added 739 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on a 5.9 per carry mark ... chose TCU over Baylor, Houston, Miami (Fla.), Louisville and Oklahoma State.



Ethan Grant (RB, 5-10, 175, Coconut Creek, Fla.; North Broward HS)

A four-star recruit and member of the Rivals.com 250 ... ranked by Rivals as the nation’s No. 15 running back and the fifth-best home run threat at the position ... also rated as the No. 5 running back in Florida and the No. 34 overall player in the state ... All-State selection who rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on a 9.4 per carry mark his senior year ... averaged over 40 yards per reception ... ran for 1,500 yards as a junior and 800 his sophomore year ... helped lead North Broward to a pair of state championships ... an all-county selection all four years on the gridiron ... played in the 2010 Team USA vs. The World Game ... also lettered in track and field ... a two-time state champion and an all-county selection in track and field since his freshman year ... has a step brother, Victor Keise III, who is a wide receiver at Minnesota ... his mother, Patricia Grant, played tennis at Miami Dade College and St. Thomas University ... picked TCU over Oregon, Minnesota and Wisconsin.



Antonio Graves (S/WR, 6-1, 210, Texarkana, Texas; Pleasant Grove HS)

Named the Distict 16-3A Most Valuable Player as a senior ... named to the all-district team at both quarterback and linebacker ... the Texarkana Gazette Area Player of the Year ... totaled 47 touchdowns his senior year ... passed for 2,532 yards and 27 scores while adding 1,147 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground ... averaged 38.8 yards on kickoff returns with two touchdowns ... recorded 83 tackles and three fumble recoveries ... a six-time Northeast Texas Player of the Week his senior year ... was also all-district at quarterback as a junior ... lettered three years in football, four in basketball and two in baseball ... an all-district selection in basketball ... selected TCU over Baylor and Louisiana Tech.



Chris Hawkins (WR, 6-2, 175, Channelview, Texas; Channelview HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 77 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 14 wide receiver in Texas ... a unanimous first-team All-District 21-5A selection as a senior ... had 11 touchdowns among his 27 receptions for 657 yards ... added two interceptions on defense while averaging 29.3 yards on kickoff returns ... averaged 40.1 yards per reception his junior year when he posted 10 catches, including five scores, for 401 yards ... earned second-team all-district honors ... was also a second-team all-district selection in basketball for Channelview ... lettered twice in football, three times in basketball and once in track and field ... chose TCU over Minnesota, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Nebraska and Utah.



David Johnson (DT, 6-2, 270, Argyle, Texas; Argyle HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com No. 4 in Texas and No. 31 in the nation among defensive tackles ... rated by Rivals as the No. 50 overall player in the state ... first-team All-State as a senior and the District 9-3A Most Valuable Player ... led Argyle with 25 tackles for loss, including six sacks ... totaled 102 stops his senior season ... named the District Defensive Lineman of the Year and honorable-mention All-State as a junior when he recorded 24 tackles for loss, including 12 sacks, as part of 77 stops ... chose TCU over UCLA, Stanford and Texas Tech.



Marcus Mallett (LB, 6-1, 216, Cleveland, Texas; Cleveland HS)

Rated as the No. 8 outside linebacker in the state and No. 39 in the nation by Rivals.com ... ranked No. 97 for overall players in Texas ... listed in the Waco Tribune’s top-100 recruits for Texas ... honorable-mention All-State as a junior ... named the District 22-3A Most Valuable Player his junior year ... selected TCU over Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.



Clifton Murphy (DE, 6-4, 230, Little Elm, Texas; Little Elm HS)

A first-team All-District 5-4A selection as a senior ... totaled 28 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, among 72 stops ... named to the second-team all-district squad his junior year ... recorded eight sacks among 82 tackles ... also played basketball for Little Elm ... picked TCU over SMU and Colorado State.



Elisha Olabode (CB/S, 5-10, 170, Cedar Hill, Texas; Cedar Hill HS)

The No. 9 safety in Texas and No. 54 safety in the nation by Rivals.com ... first-team All-State as a senior ... also named to the Class 5A Dallas-Fort Worth All-Area team ... recorded 61 tackles with four interceptions ... totaled five return touchdowns, including three on punt returns ... brought back an interception for a touchdown while also scoring on a 108-yard missed field goal return ... had 88 tackles and two interceptions as a junior ... chose TCU over Arizona, Baylor, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.



Blake Roberts (LB/DE, 6-4, 225, Tyler, Texas; Robert E. Lee HS)

Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 10 outside linebacker in Texas and No. 45 in the nation ... named to the second-team Class 5A Dallas-Fort Worth All-Area team as a senior ... All-East Texas his junior and senior years ... a three-time all-district selection ... placed among the top three in tackles for Tyler Lee in each of his final three seasons ... totaled 75 stops, including seven for loss with four sacks, as a junior ... added three forced fumbles and one interception ... selected TCU over Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Texas Tech.



Michael Thompson (C, 6-4, 315, Farmersville, Texas; Farmersville HS)

The No. 4 ranked center in Texas and No. 18 nationally by Rivals.com ... first-team All-State and All-District 13-3A ... also a first-team selection at defensive tackle in addition to serving as the team’s field-goal kicker ... an academic all-district pick his senior year ... earned All-State honors as a sophomore when he helped Farmersville win the 2A state championship.



Nykiren Wellington (OT, 6-6, 275, San Antonio, Texas; Holmes HS)

All-District 28-5A as a junior and senior ... utilized on both the offensive and defensive lines ... three-year letterman in football ... also lettered twice in track and field and once in basketball ... selected TCU over Colorado, Houston and Utah.



Kevin White (CB, 5-10, 170, Round Rock, Texas; Stony Point HS)

An All-State selection as a senior ... was also the District 16-5A Defensive Most Valuable Player and an All-Central Texas pick by the Austin American-Statesman ... first-team all-area ... totaled 43 tackles with seven interceptions and nine pass breakups ... had 174 return yards on his picks ... was also the all-district return specialist ... second-team all-district and third-team all-area his junior year ... named Stony Point’s Most Valuable Defensive Back ... recorded 43 stops, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions and a forced fumble as a junior ... also blocked two punts ... a two-year letterman in football ... picked TCU over Air Force and Utah