With under two months until the 2017 opener, TCU football continues to reign in preseason accolades. Four players were named by the media Wednesday to the Preseason All-Big 12 team.
S/O to our preseason All-Big 12 selections: @N_Orr21, @AustinS95, @KaVontaeTurpin & @TravinTheGreat! #FrogFactor #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/SwRsujbOSh
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) July 12, 2017
On offense, senior center Austin Schlottmann was named as the preseason all-conference center. Schlottman has played in 36 of 39 games since becoming a Horned Frog with 15 starts. In 11 games in 2016, he allowed no sacks and just one quarterback pressure on 752 snaps.
Junior KaVontae Turpin was voted the preseason all-conference return specialist, coming off a year that saw him average 28.4 yards per kick return and 12.5 yards on punt returns. Turpin was a two-time Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week in 2016 and led the nation in all-purpose yards before getting injured in the Sept. 19 game against Iowa State.
Defensively, seniors Nick Orr and Travin Howard were selected to the team at safety and linebacker, respectively.
Orr was named to the All-Big 12 second team a year ago as he had a team-best four interceptions and 86 tackles in 13 starts. In 2015, Orr started each game and added 50 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Howard, who was also named to the Bednarik Award Watch List for the country’s best defensive player, led the nation in tackles as a junior with 130. Howard has 235 tackles over the last two seasons to go along with 11 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
TCU will welcome Jackson State to Amon G. Carter Stadium for the 2017 season opener at 7 p.m. Sept. 2.
