FORT WORTH — TCU will return home Saturday looking to reset after a difficult finish in its season opener, welcoming Grambling State to Amon G. Carter Stadium for the Horned Frogs’ first home game of 2026.
The 7 p.m. matchup will be TCU’s first game at home this season following last weekend’s 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Dublin. It also marks the Horned Frogs’ first meeting with an HBCU program since 2019.
For coach Sonny Dykes, the game represents the beginning of his fifth season in Fort Worth. Dykes has already won 36 games during his first four seasons at TCU, a total that ranks among the best starts by a Horned Frogs head coach in program history.
Dykes’ tenure has included a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship following the 2022 season, when he was named National Coach of the Year. He arrived at TCU after previous head-coaching stops at Louisiana Tech, California and SMU.
The biggest change for TCU entering this season has come at quarterback.
Jaden Craig, a graduate transfer from Harvard, took over the offense after Josh Hoover transferred to Indiana. Craig arrived in Fort Worth as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Harvard history, finishing his Crimson career with 6,074 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes. He also threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025.
Craig made his TCU debut against North Carolina, completing 20 of 32 passes for 175 yards. He was joined by running back Jeremy Payne, who rushed for 142 yards on 25 carries in his first game as a Horned Frog.
The offense also has a new voice.
Gordon Sammis took over as TCU’s offensive coordinator after spending the previous two seasons calling plays at UConn. Sammis helped guide the Huskies to consecutive nine-win seasons, while his offense produced significant gains through the air and on the ground.
TCU will be looking for that offense to find more consistency against Grambling State after managing only 10 points against North Carolina. The Horned Frogs scored on their opening two possessions in Ireland but were shut out over the remainder of the game.
The defense, meanwhile, enters the season with considerably more continuity.
Defensive coordinator Andy Avalos is in his third season with the program, and safety Jamel Johnson returns after a breakout 2025 campaign. Johnson recorded 96 tackles and five interceptions last season, with his interception total leading the Big 12 and ranking among the national leaders.
TCU also returns experience along the defensive front, including Markis Deal, Ansel Din-Mbuh and Paul Oyewale.
Saturday’s game offers TCU a chance to establish a different tone at home.
The Horned Frogs have historically been productive in their home openers, and their only previous meeting with Grambling State produced a 56-0 TCU victory in 2012. That game was also the first played in the renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium.
There are some familiar connections between the programs. TCU has four players from Louisiana, while Grambling’s roster includes eight players from Texas, including five from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Grambling safeties coach Willie Mack Garza also spent three seasons on TCU’s staff as the Horned Frogs’ cornerbacks coach from 2001-03.
But for TCU, the immediate objective is straightforward.
After leaving Ireland with a loss, the Horned Frogs return to Fort Worth with an opportunity to put their new-look offense, experienced defense and revamped roster on display in front of their home crowd.
The next step begins Saturday night under the lights at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
