The new redshirt rule is a boon to college football programs, who now have the opportunity to get players in up to four games a year without burning their redshirt year of eligibility. The challenge, now, becomes how to use that flexibility - something that TCU’s Gary Patterson, and others, are working to figure out during preseason camps.
For some, it comes as necessity - last year, TCU was down to just two defensive tackles at one point in the season, and was using scout team players in practice “without skipping a beat”, according to Coach Patterson. Had those nicks and dings not had a bye week to heal, (now) redshirt freshmen Dennis Collins and George Ellis would have been the next men up, burning their RS year for what amounted to a couple games.