The TCU Horned Frogs didn’t rely too much on their tight ends in the passing game last season. That was largely due to having three NFL weapons in Savion Williams, Jack Bech and JP Richardson to deploy across the field.
With Williams, Bech and Richardson all departing over the offseason, TCU made tight ends more of a focal point in the passing game this season. After losing fifth-year senior and former Baylor transfer Drake Dabney, now with the Green Bay Packers, the Horned Frogs leaned on veteran DJ Rogers to become the team’s top pass catcher at the tight end position. Rogers, a redshirt senior and former four-star recruit, had the best season of his career, playing in all 13 games with 12 starts and catching 34 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
Rogers made his presence felt immediately, hauling in five passes for 43 yards and a score during TCU’s blowout victory over North Carolina. Rogers, who will participate in the Panini Senior Bowl, saw his role grow in each of the last three seasons. From seven catches for 78 yards and a score in 2023 to 12 catches for 142 yards and two scores in 2024, Rogers played in 38 games at TCU and will now depart after five years in Fort Worth.
Rogers is one of two veteran tight ends that are out of eligiblity. The other is sixth-year senior and team captain Chase Curtis, who pushed through injuries throughout his career with the Horned Frogs. Like Rogers, Curtis departs with significant game experience. Curtis played in 40 games and posted 36 catches for 413 yards and four touchdowns during his TCU career. A former starter who missed multiple games in 2023 and 2024 to injuries, Curtis filled a key depth role this season, snatching 13 receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
With Rogers and Curtis out of eligibility, TCU will need a new face to step into the No. 1 tight end role next season. One candidate to fill that role is Ka’Morreun Pimpton, a former LSU transfer who briefly went into the portal before backing out to rejoin the Horned Frogs for 2026. Pimpton played sparingly in 2025, catching a 3-yard touchdown pass against Baylor and making four appearances. Pimpton, who played in 19 games over two years before transferring from LSU to TCU, was a junior in 2025 and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Another player who could see a bigger role is Lafayette Kaiuway, a redshirt sophomore who played in 10 games this season. Kaiuway, who played in four games during both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, caught his first career touchdown pass during TCU’s win over Colorado. The former three-star recruit added a 14-yard grab against WVU and a 9-yard grab against Abilene Christian. Like Pimpton, Kaiuway has a fair amount of game experience.
Rounding out the team’s five-man tight end group was true freshman Mason Peterson, a key special teamer who played in all 13 games this season. While Peterson didn’t record a catch on offense, he’ll have an opportunity to move up the depth chart with Rogers and Curtis departing from the program. The Horned Frogs haven’t signed any tight ends in the transfer portal, but the team will bring in two three-star 2026 recruits in Nacari Ashley and Braden Bach. Ashley arrives from the JUCO level and was the No. 2 JUCO tight end prospect in the 2026 class.
