11/13/2026 3:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TCU Signs Nation’s Top JUCO Player
FORT WORTH – TCU received two commitments for the 2027 class on Thursday with the signing of Taquez Butler and Nick Welch Jr.
Butler is a 6-3 guard from Memphis, Tenn., who just completed his freshman season at Walters State Community College. Widely regarded as the nation's top junior college player, Butler averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last year while shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range. After leading Walters State to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Tournament, Butler was named to the all-tournament team.
Butler was a three-star recruit out of Whitehaven High School where he was crowned Mr. Basketball of Tennessee following his senior season in 2025.
The signing of Butler follows a familiar trend of top JUCO talent landing in Fort Worth. Current senior forward Xavier Edmonds was the top-ranked JUCO player in 2025 and earned All-Big 12 Conference honors last season. The Frogs then signed current junior guard Trent Lincoln in November of 2025, who was the top-ranked JUCO player at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Welch is a 6-9 forward from San Pedro, Calif., who is in his senior season at Rolling Hills Prep. He is seen as a top 15 big man in the country and ranked 109 overall by 247 Sports. The 4-star recruit averaged 16.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 blocks in 22 games last season. Welch earned 2026 All-CIF Southern Section honors at the end of last season.
Taquez Butler is a Horned Frog! 🐸 #GoFrogs | @Imquezz0 https://t.co/HZJp2g7qkX
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 12, 2026
Nick Welch Jr. is a Horned Frog! 🐸 #GoFrogs | @nickwelchjr https://t.co/Ml08h4dtEE
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 12, 2026
