Joe Pitchford is a running back from Liberty Hill, Texas, who attends TCU. In high school, he accumulated 1,165 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, then posted 1,094 yards and nine scores his junior year. As a senior, he rushed for 464 yards and four touchdowns while adding three receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown; he also completed five passes for 92 yards. Pitchford appeared in one game during his freshman season in 2024, the New Mexico Bowl victory over Louisiana. In 2025 as a redshirt sophomore, he played in all 13 games primarily on special teams, recovering a fumble against BYU and recording a tackle against Colorado.