Both leading rusher Kendre Miller and top wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who is expected to be selected in the first round of the draft, are leaving for the NFL.
On Monday, the last day for players to formally announce their intentions for the draft, both players made their decision public via Instagram. Johnston is projected to be the No. 12th overall draft prospect. Mel Kiper places Johnston second behind Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while Todd McShay places Johnston as the best wide receiver in the draft.
This past season, Johnston assisted TCU in reaching the national title game and making its first appearance in the College Football Playoff with 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. After rushing for 612 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston was named to the first team of the Big 12 for the second consecutive year. In TCU’s CFP semifinal victory over Michigan, Johnston had six receptions for 163 yards and a 76-yard touchdown. However, in Georgia’s 65-7 victory over the Horned Frogs in the national championship game, Johnston had only one reception.
“Things weren’t always the easiest but I feel like they have fully prepared me for this next step in my career,” Johnston wrote on Instagram.
In 2022, Miller rushed for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns for TCU. Due to a sprained knee sustained in TCU’s victory over Michigan, the junior was unable to participate in the team’s loss to Georgia in the national championship game.
Miller, who stood at 6 feet, 220 pounds, was ranked No. overall prospect number 155 for the draft. In 2021, Miller had 623 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, but this past season, as the featured back under a new coaching staff, he produced more. The native of Mount Enterprise, Texas, was named to the first team of the Big 12 team.
Miller thanked TCU’s coaches, particularly head coach Sonny Dykes and running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr., for supporting his growth in an Instagram video.
“Our locker room was special and a big reason why this season was legendary,” Miller said in his Instagram video. “We will forever be brothers and a team. We will be forever remembered as champions.”