TCU · Big 12TCU turns to Jaden Craig at quarterback for opener in Dublin
The Harvard graduate transfer, who threw 52 touchdowns for the Crimson, replaces Hoover and faces North Carolina today in his first FBS test.
AUG 29, 2026
Jaden Craig takes the field for TCU today, Saturday, Aug. 29, against North Carolina in Dublin — the Harvard graduate transfer's first snaps for the Horned Frogs after taking over at quarterback for Hoover.
Craig arrives with three years of big Ivy League numbers: 6,074 passing yards, 52 touchdowns and 12 interceptions at Harvard, with 194 rushing yards and 11 more scores on the ground. He was a 2025 finalist for the Walter Payton Award, college football's top FCS honor.
"He's been really good," Sonny Dykes said. "I mean he's turned the ball over twice, I think, the entire fall camp, and it's been two tipped balls. He's had a really good camp. I mean, he's in command of the offense. He's been really smart with the football, he understands what we're trying to do and how we're trying to do it."
But Craig's last outing at Harvard raised real doubt: 9-of-21 passing for 107 yards and two interceptions in a 52-7 FCS playoff loss to Villanova. TCU, which went 9-4 and 5-4 in the Big 12 last season, is a jump in competition Craig never faced in Cambridge. Dykes added that Craig has built trust with TCU's receivers and running backs in the passing game.
TCU has not said whether Craig is the outright opening-day starter. What's clear is the stakes for him personally — one final season, at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, to prove Harvard's version of him travels.
"Just one of those gut feelings," Craig said of the move. "Going somewhere to get developed and get better and prepare yourself that much more for the next level, I think that was the ultimate decision."