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Sep 7, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) stands on the field before the game against the Long Island Sharks at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

From 3-Star Recruit to One of the Nation’s Best: Josh Hoover’s Rise at TCU

Originally posted on TCU Horned Frogs on SI
By Nick Girimonte | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 5:36 PM ET

Josh Hoover didn’t just arrive on the national stage—he exploded onto it. After setting a single-season school record with 3,949 passing yards last year, he is now recognized as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. But few could have predicted such a meteoric rise.

Born into an athletic family, Hoover excelled in multiple sports from a young age. Though a highly rated baseball prospect, he ultimately chose football as his calling.

The son of former Colorado State and NFL linebacker Alex Hoover, Josh quickly made a name for himself at Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas. Over three seasons, he threw for 9,953 yards and 108 touchdowns, earning the 2021 Landry Award as the top high school football player in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Even with those credentials, Hoover entered the recruiting world as a three-star prospect. He held only one Power 5 offer—from Indiana University, where he initially committed on June 22, 2021. Everything changed when Sonny Dykes became TCU’s head coach on November 30 of that year.

Dykes had previously recruited Hoover to SMU, but the fit never felt right.

“I told coach Dykes this when I wasn't coming to SMU,” Hoover said in an interview with Chris Hummer of 247Sports. “I told him, 'I just don't really like the school. I don't like the feel of Dallas. It's nothing against you guys.' … I just didn't want to go to school at SMU. Now that I'm here, I can say that proudly.”

Hoover visited Dykes in Fort Worth the day after the hire, and within a week, he had flipped his commitment to TCU. Dykes told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Hoover’s character and work ethic made the decision easy.

“We felt like the fit was good, and 10 minutes in I'm like, 'We got to figure out how to make this thing happen.' Just who he was and his character and what his high school coach had to say about him and the whole thing."

Hoover’s first year at TCU was a lesson in patience. The true freshman spent the 2022 season fourth on the depth chart behind Heisman runner-up Max Duggan, Chander Morris, and Sam Jackson, as the Frogs advanced to the National Championship game.

The following year, Hoover began as Morris’s backup, but an injury opened the door. In seven starts, he threw for 2,206 yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking 19th nationally in QBR, providing a late-season spark of hope in a 5-7 campaign.

That performance earned him the starting role in 2024. Hoover didn’t just meet expectations—he shattered them, setting TCU’s single-season passing record. Across 19 career starts, he has thrown 42 touchdowns, including six wins in the final seven games of last season.

Hoover’s rise caught national attention, including a reported offer from Tennessee worth more than $1 million over his current NIL deal, according to Steven Johnson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The decision was easy: loyalty to TCU and the Fort Worth community won out.

"I want to be remembered as winning a Big 12 championship, winning the national championship, and then, even more, just being a guy that people can count on," Hoover told Pete Thamel of ESPN. "Just being somebody that is true to their word and someone that's just had a great character and loyalty and would do anything for their teammates."

Josh Hoover said it best:

“I love Fort Worth. I love TCU. This is the place I want to be. I see TCU as a top program and that’s why I came here.” pic.twitter.com/D09PkeHc6f
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) June 18, 2025

Now, as the 2025 season approaches, expectations are sky-high. Hoover appears on nearly every major quarterback award watch list and is considered an NFL prospect by multiple scouts.

At Big 12 media days, Coach Dykes praised Hoover’s arm, saying he can throw as well as any quarterback he has ever coached—a remarkable endorsement from a mentor who has developed top prospects like Tim Couch, Nick Foles, and Jared Goff.

With less than a week until TCU’s 2025 season opener, Hoover is poised for another big year. From a three-star recruit to one of the nation’s most watched quarterbacks, his journey proves that talent, perseverance, and loyalty can defy expectations.

The Frogs face a tough Big 12 schedule, but with Hoover leading the way, confidence is high. More than stats or awards, it’s his leadership and resilience that signal the promise of success—for him, his team, and the program he has transformed.

TCU opens the season on Monday night, September 1, against North Carolina. The game will be played in Chapel Hill, NC, and can be seen on ESPN at 7 p.m. CDT.

This article first appeared on TCU Horned Frogs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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