Former TCU quarterback Casey Pachall was frank about the state of the TCU football team in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“It’s rough right now,” Pachall said. “There is zero leadership. Nobody wants to step up and take charge of anything. It’s rough.”

The team struggled for most of last season, slumping to a 4-8 record despite almost beating then-No. 9 Baylor in the season finale. The Frogs have gone 11-14 in their first two seasons in the Big 12.

The Brownwood, Texas, native threw for six touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven games last season. Pachall missed several games after suffering a broken arm against Southeastern Louisiana.

“I still love those guys. Maybe they made mistakes, everybody does. I’m not putting those people down at all. They are still my good friends. Things are going to happen and as a team they need somebody to step up,” Pachall said.

Only a week after junior defensive tackle Jon Lewis left the team for personal reasons, redshirt sophomore wide receiver LaDarius Brown was caught with two ounces of marijuana in his car. Brown was subsequently removed from the team.

“It’s one of those things where every now and then you may say something to a teammate, and it may make them mad, but when they sit down and think about it they know it was sincere and it wasn’t getting on your ass,” Pachall said.

Pachall returned to the team last spring after undergoing a rehabilitation program following a DWI arrest.

“A lot of these guys don’t want to speak up, they just want to blend in with the crowd,” Pachall said “They want to be cool with their teammates, instead of getting on them and getting something going.”

The team is expected to begin spring practice next month.