TCU opens Big 12 play at Kansas on Saturday. Keep an eye on these Horned Frogs as they start a new era in school history:

Offense: Casey Pachall, Junior, Quarterback

Casey Pachall is coming off a perfect 9-for-9 passing performance against Grambling State. The matchup with the Jayhawks marks the Brownwood native’s second Big 12 game as a starter. In Pachall’s last outing against the Big 12, he went 25-of-39 for 251 yards and four touchdowns at Baylor.  

Defense: Stansly Maponga, Junior, Defensive end

Stansly Maponga was the only Horned Frog to make the preseason All-Big 12 team. Maponga led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss last season and nine sacks last season. His 25 career starts are the most among active TCU players. The junior from Carrollton is also on the Ted Hendricks Award Watch List, an award given to the nation’s top defensive end.

Special teams: TCU Punters

Senior Cale Patterson punted twice against Grambling State. Patterson averaged 29.5 yards per punt on Saturday. Those were the first punts of Patterson’s collegiate career. Freshman Ethan Perry, listed first on the depth chart, could push Patterson for punts against Kansas. Perry ranked no. 1 in Texas as a recruit and no. 6 in the nation.