TCU quarterback Max Duggan is uncertain to start the 2020 college football season after the medical staff identified an undisclosed condition, according to multiple reports. 

“Max has a condition that he’s had his whole life and we caught it,” Patterson said per the Star-Telegram. “Right now he’s in a good place and hopefully he’ll be getting back some time during the season. Right now, we’ll be going forward with the rest of the quarterbacks. It’s a thing he was born with and I’m just glad we found it.” 

Duggan’s condition was only discovered after additional medical screening while TCU prepared for the 2020 season. There is no timeline at this point for his return. 

The Council Bluffs, Iowa, product showed major potential during his true freshman season, throwing for 273 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Texas and 323 yards and two scores against Texas Tech. He completed 53 percent of his passes for 2,077 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with 555 rush yards and six TDs. Most expected Duggan to take a big step forward as a sophomore. 

In Duggan’s absence, former walk-on quarterback Matthew Downing has taken first-team quarterback reps. He played in four games at Georgia before transferring to TCU in 2019, and later earned a scholarship. Downing completed 8-of-10 passes for 88 yards in 2018. 

The only other scholarship quarterbacks on TCU’s roster are JUCO transfer Stephon Brown and true freshman Eli Williams, both of whom are new arrivals. Brown ranked as the No. 1 UCO dual-threat quarterback after completing 56.5 percent of his passes for 1,430 yards and 16 touchdowns at Independence Community College.