Jan 16, 2023
TCU top wide receiver Quentin Johnston, a projected first-round draft pick, and leading rusher Kendre Miller are headed to the NFL.
Both players announced their decision on Instagram on Monday, the last day for players to formally announce their draft intentions. ESPN projects Johnston as the No. 12 overall prospect for the draft. Todd McShay lists Johnston as the top wide receiver for the draft, while Mel Kiper lists him second behind Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Johnston had 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns this past season, helping TCU make its first College Football Playoff appearance and reach the national title game. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for the second straight season after recording 612 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. Johnston had six receptions for 163 yards and a 76-yard touchdown in TCU’s win over Michigan in the CFP semifinal but was held to just one reception in the Horned Frogs’ 65-7 loss to Georgia in the national championship game.
“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.
Miller had 1,399 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns for TCU in 2022. The junior missed the team’s national championship loss to Georgia because of a sprained knee suffered in TCU’s victory over Michigan.
ESPN rated the 6-foot, 220-pound Miller as the No. 155 overall prospect for the draft. Miller had 623 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, but his production spiked this past season as the featured back under a new coaching staff. The Mount Enterprise, Texas, native earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
In an Instagram video, Miller thanked TCU’s coaches, especially head coach Sonny Dykes and running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr., for helping his development.
“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.”
