10 things to know about TCU’s Max Duggan: Heisman finalist QB has taken Frogs to new highs

Here are 10 things to know about TCU quarterback Max Duggan as the Horned Frogs prepare to face off against Michigan in the College Football Playoff:

1. The basics

Pos.: QB

Class: Senior

Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 180 lbs.

Hometown: Council Bluffs, Iowa

2. Iowa legend

When Duggan was coming out of Lewis Central High School, one scout called him “the best quarterback prospect from Iowa in the Internet recruiting era.”

He won the Iowa Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award in 2018 after leading Lewis Central to an 11-1 record. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the state according to 24/7Sports, and the fifth-ranked dual QB in the country.

He committed to TCU over Georgia, Penn State and Notre Dame, and has been drawing praise for his loyalty to the university ever since.

3. Shaky freshman year

Duggan didn’t originally win the Frogs’ QB1 job, but eventually beat out Kansas State transfer Alex Delton and took on the difficult task of starting in the Big 12 as a true freshman.

His inexperience showed. The Horned Frogs went 5-7 in 2019 and missed out on a bowl game for the first time since 2013. Duggan posted a QB rating of 113.6 and completed just 53.4% of passes, throwing 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

But there were promising moments, and it was the best season by a freshman QB in the school’s history.

4. He’s not cocoa.

Then head coach Gary Patterson never lost faith in his freshman quarterback, and seemed to have a feeling that the finished Duggan product would be worth waiting for.

Patterson said this about Duggan mere months into the QB’s college career: “Everybody wants players to be like hot cocoa. You just want to rip off the cover, pour it in, pour hot water in and then they’re a great player. Cocoa’s ready to go. It’s not that easy. It’s not that easy.”

He was right. A look at Duggan’s year-to-year stats show a fairly linear climb to his current status of Heisman hopeful QB.

5. Heart surgery

In the summer of 2020 Duggan underwent a nine-hour heart procedure to correct a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which was undiagnosed until a COVID-19 test administered to Duggan by TCU.

Somehow, Duggan never missed a game. He threw three touchdown passes in the 2020 season opener, a hard-fought loss to Iowa State, just weeks after the surgery. Then he logged one of the signature wins of his college career, knocking off No. 9 Texas in Austin 33-31.

6. Broken foot

As if literal heart surgery wasn’t enough, Duggan broke a bone and tore a tendon in his foot the next season, his junior year. He missed just two games and otherwise started 10, which would probably be more surprising if it weren’t for the previous item on this list.

7. Magical 2022

Duggan’s storybook senior season began with questions as to whether he’d even be TCU’s starter under new head coach Sonny Dykes. But by the time TCU put up a 42-34 win over SMU, a game in which Duggan went 22 of 29 passing with 278 yards and three TDs, he’d pretty much sealed up the starting job.

He led TCU to wins over Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas and Baylor in the regular season, and was impressive enough to where even a hard-fought loss in the Big 12 title wasn’t enough to sink the Horned Frogs’ hopes of a title.

8. Full team support

And that means full team.

Coaches, players and fans alike all rave about the grittiness of “Mad Max” Duggan, with Dykes having gotten emotional while speaking about Duggan multiple times throughout the season.

TCU’s Chancellor, Dr. Victor Boschini, called Duggan “the heart of Horned Frog football.”

Teammate Josh Newman called Duggan a lion when speaking with 247Sports.

“He doesn’t talk, he’s like a lion. When the lion roars, the lion doesn’t roar like the hyena. But, when he roars, everybody gets big eyes.”

9. Gritty drive in Big 12 title

In the waning minutes of the 2022 Big 12 championship against Kansas State, Duggan led the Frogs on a game-tying march in which he ran for 87 yards on an 80-yard drive (yes, you read that right).

Duggan, visibly exhausted and bleeding profusely from the elbow, ran in a touchdown and threw in a 2-point conversion to send the game to overtime. TCU lost, but Duggan’s effort didn’t go unnoticed.

10. Heisman finalist, CFP selection

And what a period of 48-or-so hours it was for Duggan and TCU after that loss in the Big 12 title, as Duggan’s efforts indeed helped earn a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He’s the first TCU finalist since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2000.

That announcement came one day after TCU was given new life by the CFP selection committee and seeded No. 3 in the Playoff.

The Horned Frogs will learn if they can hang with Jim Harbaugh’s undefeated Michigan Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

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