Big 12 Football: TCU quarterback Max Duggan cleared to return, how it helps Texas

In a surprising turn of events, TCU quarterback Max Duggan has been cleared to return and will be available for the season opener.

In August, TCU quarterback Max Duggan was sidelined indefinitely due to an undisclosed heart condition.

Fortunately due to the increased health protocols for COVID-19, a precautionary test was able to discover the previously-undetected issue. Duggan announced that he underwent a necessary procedure and appeared to be on the road to recovery.

The surprising news sent shockwaves through the Big 12 conference as Duggan is certainly one of the Horned Frogs most talented players. Head coach Gary Patterson was uncertain on whether his starting quarterback would be able to take the field at all this season.

Matthew Downing, a former walk-on with minimal experience, was receiving first-team reps in the meantime. However, it was reported on Monday that Duggan has been cleared to return and will be available for TCU’s season opener against Iowa State.

It’s unclear on whether Duggan will start right away, but it certainly bodes well for the rest of the conference. Outside of Texas, Oklahoma and West Virginia, every other team in the Big 12 has underperformed thus far.

Baylor and TCU have yet to take the field and were the primary wildcards within the Big 12 to begin with. Due to a conference-only schedule ahead, it would be beneficial for Texas if TCU and Baylor were quality opponents.

Duggan started the final 10 games for TCU last season and finished with 2,077 yards passing and 15 touchdowns. He also tacked on 555 yards rushing and six scores on the ground.

Texas is set to face TCU in Austin on Oct. 3. The Longhorns are looking for revenge after falling to the Horned Frogs 37-27 in 2019, one of Duggan’s best performances as a freshman.