Five Big 12 QBs Make EA Sports Top 20, But Josh Hoover Isn’t One

The month of July brings many things for college football fans. Media days are right around the corner; kickoff is approaching, and the release of the annual EA Sports College Football game is just about here.

I will be the first to tell you that when I was growing up, this was my favorite game to play. Whether it was rebuilding a struggling program or creating my own player and winning the Heisman, I spent countless hours on my Xbox.

As a man in his thirties, I must admit that I don’t really play video games anymore, as I did in my teenage years and twenties. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t play a game or two with someone if offered.

With the game release set for July 10^th, there has been all sorts of chatter about who the best teams and players are in the game. And with the quarterback position being the most important, all eyes will be on them.

EA Sports just released its Top 20 quarterback ratings for College Football 26, and believe it or not, the Big 12 had five quarterbacks ranked inside the top 20.

#4 Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)

#11 Avery Johnson (Kansas State)

#15 Kaidon Salter (Colorado)

#18 Rocco Becht (Iowa State)

#20 Sawyer Robertson (Baylor)

While I am thrilled to see the conference get some respect with five quarterbacks making the list, I am equally disappointed. Why? Because I felt like they left out one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12.

That quarterback is none other than Josh Hoover from TCU. If you go back and look at the stats last season, Hoover finished with 3,949 passing yards, which was the second most in the conference, only behind Shedeur Sanders.

He also threw the third-most touchdown passes (27) and was second in completion percentage (66.7%). And if you put his stats up against the rest of the country, he was in the top 20 nationally in all of these categories.

I know TCU isn’t a popular team to talk about after going 8-5 last season. But, they really did turn a corner after a 3-3 start. They went 5-1 down the stretch, and their only loss was to Baylor on the road by three points. And for those who don’t remember, the Bears were one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 towards the end of the year.

It doesn’t help that Sonny Dykes is in a make-or-break year in Fort Worth but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that he has a great quarterback in Josh Hoover. I could make an argument that he is the best passer in the Big 12.

You can say what you want about TCU, their tough schedule, or whatever, but I am telling you that leaving Josh Hoover outside of the top 20 is foolish. He is a sneaky pick for Big 12 player of the year in my book and will likely be the reason why the Horned Frogs are competitive this season. He may not win the Heisman trophy, but don’t be shocked when he ends up being the best quarterback in the Big 12 in 2025.