Patterson's next big decision is picking next pilot for the Air Raid

Published Jan. 8, 2016 12:05 p.m. ET

Jeff Caplan

It doesn't seem all that long ago that Texas A&M fans were giddy at the prospect of what quarterback Kenny Hill could deliver. After all, he broke Johnny Manziel's single-game passing record in his first start of the 2014 season in an upset at South Carolina.

Now, A&M's ancient history could very well be the future of the TCU Horned Frogs.

Hill's season went downhill after that opener. His parents filed for the trademark "Kenny Trill," his preferred nickname, at least it was back then. A two-game suspension for violating unspecified team rules followed and then the thrill was really gone when Kyle Allen supplanted Hill as the starter.

Hill decided to transfer to TCU. Entering this offseason, Hill, who sat out the 2015 season to satisfy transfer rules, is the favorite to replace two-time Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin.

TCU coach Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs could be the beneficiary of a humbled Trill, a former Texas high school state champion at Southlake High School -- just about a half-hour drive from the TCU campus -- and a top-rated dual-threat recruit whose bright star has dimmed considerably.

Hill is one of three returning quarterbacks on the roster, plus incoming freshman and touted, pro-style quarterback Brennen Wooten. Here's a glance at all four prospects:

Kenny Hill: He'll have two years of eligibility remaining and in a perfect world will give TCU something close to what it had with Boykin the last two seasons. Hill's instant rise then quick crash-and-burn at A&M should have been, one would think, a humbling experience, and one that might put consistent results ahead of personal branding. He threw for an A&M record 511 yards and three touchdowns in the 2014 opener. In eight games that season he completed 66.7 percent of his passes and threw for 2,649 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Foster Sawyer: He would be a hometown hero story hailing from Fort Worth, but the redshirt freshman in 2015 didn't play well enough in a couple of chances late in the season when Boykin was injured to win the starting job for the Alamo Bowl following Boykin's suspension. In four appearances, he completed 11-of-27 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and three picks.

Grayson Muehlstein: He redshirted in 2014 and didn't see the field in 2015. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, the pro-style QB will have to bring it during spring workouts and fall camp if he's going to jump up the depth chart and challenge for the starting job.

Brennen Wooten: Also recruited by Houston's Tom Herman and Washington State's Mike Leach, among others, it's clear the kid can throw it. He'll have to be dynamite, though, to win the gig, as a true freshman.