TCU lands commitment from EDGE Jonathan Bax

One of the offseason’s biggest risers has found a new home.

After committing to the Southern Miss in June, three-star New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr EDGE Jonathan Bax pledged to TCU on July 4. Bax is the nation’s No. 67-rated player at the position in the 2023 cycle. On3 is higher on the Louisiana standout than the rest of the industry.

Similarly, the Horned Frogs coaches from Joe Gillespie, Josh Creech and Carlon Buckels on down were high on Bax and made it very transparent as his recruitment picked up steam over the summer.

“Flipping my decision from Southern Mississippi to TCU wasn’t necessarily easy because both programs have an amazing staff and they are both are winning programs, but the push that made me choose TCU over Southern Mississippi is because Coach Joe Gillespie and the crew at TCU pushed for me hard and really explained my future with me. TCU was the spot for me matching with my off-the-field needs as well. TCU was the school to go to,” Bax told On3.

“TCU offered me and trusted and believed in me to play at the next level on their team. That made the decision even easier. I know TCU is the right place for me and it’s not too far from home either. TCU has a great program with great people. I enjoyed the energy and the school is beautiful! TCU is home.”

Buckels, the Horned Frogs’ tie to The Boot, opened the door for TCU even after Bax committed to Southern Miss. Gillepsie closed strong as Bax moved to finalize his college plans ahead of his senior season at Karr.

“Coach Bucks was the Texas to New Orleans pipeline. He’s the reason why I went to TCU to camp and earned my offer,” he explained. “Coach Bucks, Coach Joe Gillespie and Coach (Josh) Creech played a big factor in my decision on coming to TCU. They pushed for me hard and you can tell it was genuine love because they wanted to make sure everything was right and intact before they even offered me. You can tell they want the best for me on and off the field and really wanted me to be Horned Frog.”

Bax is the No. 41-rated player from Louisiana according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.