TCU offensive lineman Steve Avila declares for NFL draft

TCU offensive lineman Steve Avila is entering the NFL draft.

The consensus All-American announced his decision on Tuesday, a day after the Horned Frogs fell short in the national championship game against Georgia.

Avila was the first Horned Frog to be a consensus All-American since wide receiver Josh Doctson in 2015. Avila was a team captain and anchor of an offensive line that paved the way for one of the nation’s most prolific offensive attacks.

The First-Team All-Big 12 selection was also Honorable-Mention Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and didn’t allow a sack in 477 pass blocking during the regular season.

Max Duggan has already declared for the NFL draft and it’s expected Quentin Johnston and Kendre Miller will be declaring soon.

Jackson enters transfer portal

Backup quarterback Sam Jackson entered the transfer portal a few hours before Avila’s announcement. The athletic redshirt freshman was third on depth chart behind Duggan and Chandler Morris.

Jackson threw for 125 yards and rushed for 79 yards during his two seasons in Fort Worth. Jackson likely saw the writing on the wall with Chandler Morris returning for another year. Morris won the job over Duggan and Jackson in fall camp and is the projected starter for 2023.

Jackson is the second player to enter the transfer portal. Wide receiver Caleb Medford entered the portal in December.