TCU lands Cal defensive back transfer Ryan Yaites out of NCAA transfer portal

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, TCU has signed defensive back Ryan Yaites out of the NCAA transfer portal. Yaites spent the 2024 season with the Cal Golden Bears after beginning his college football career with the LSU Tigers.

“Cal defensive back Ryan Yaites has signed with TCU, @On3sports has learned,” Nakos said via X. “Former LSU transfer and four-star recruit had 16 tackles in 2024.”

Yaites played high school football at Denton (TX) Guyer, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 278 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Deciding to play for TCU means Yaites will be heading closer to home. Denton is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Guyer High School is just over 40 miles away from campus. A nice reunion for Yates, hoping to continue the nice career path he is currently on.

The numbers for Yaites are nearly identical between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Both saw him record 16 tackles and one pass breakup. Yaites did get a tackle for loss with Cal last year, not being able to say the same about his play with LSU.

TCU will be getting a player already with 25 games played on the resume. Two years of eligibility remain as well. A nice get for head coach Sonny Dykes this late in the spring transfer portal window, adding what could be a key piece to the Horned Frogs’ secondary.

TCU moving 2026 season opener vs. North Carolina to Ireland

North Carolina and TCU have added a wrinkle to their 2026 season-opening showdown. Tar Heels director of athletics Bubba Cunningham announced that the game will be played in Ireland, per Adam Smith of Inside Carolina.

The showdown had been scheduled for Sept. 5, 2026 on TCU’s home field. It’s slated to follow the Horned Frogs visiting Chapel Hill to open the 2025 season. That game will also serve as the debut of Bill Belichick for the Tar Heels.

Now, North Carolina and TCU will play in Dublin, instead of the Horned Frogs facing the Tar Heels on their home turf. However, they’ll be compensated well for moving the game to Dublin: “The Tar Heels have negotiated compensation for TCU, sources confirmed, as a means of recouping the revenue that’s generated by a home football game,” Smith added.

On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report