Hoping to remove the sour taste from last season, the TCU football team begins spring practice Saturday at 11 a.m.

TCU returns six starters on offense and nine starters on defense, not including sophomore defensive end Devonte Fields. Fields played in only three games last season after sustaining a foot injury and was granted a medical redshirt.

The Frogs finished last season with a 4-8 record despite leading the Big 12 in rushing defense (130.8 yards per game) and placing second in total defense (356.4).

On offense, the team will get their first official reps with new offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie. The Frogs finished 89th in the league in points for (25.1 points per game), according to ESPN.

Meacham served as Houston’s offensive coordinator while Cumbie coached for the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2013 season.

Quarterback Foster Sawyer is expected to visit occasional practices throughout the spring but can’t officially participate with the team until he graduates from high school.

The four-star signee from nearby All Saints’ Episcopal threw for nearly 6000 yards in his high school career. He fielded offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Baylor, Oklahoma State and SMU before signing with TCU.

Sawyer was one of 24 student-athletes the Frogs signed over the offseason. Among the signees were a record five four-star prospects.

Tyler Junior College transfers Frank Kee and Kenny Iloka were part of the 24 signees but will participate with the team this spring. They have been enrolled at TCU since the beginning of the semester.

Illoka is the younger brother of Cincinatti Bengals safety George Iloka.Rivals.com ranked him the nation’s No. 1 junior college safety after he racked up 126 tackles last season.

The six-foot-four, 345-pound Kee was ranked third in the country among junior college offensive guards.

TCU is scheduled to practice 15 times from March 1 to April 5.

The Frogs open their 2014 season at home Aug. 30 against the Samford Bulldogs.