New report says Power-4 quarterback turned down a significant NIL offer from the Tennessee Vols

Last week, it was reported by The Athletic that the Tennessee Vols reached out to TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. 

According to The Athletic, Hoover is "locked in" with TCU despite the interest from Tennessee. 

Thanks to a new report from The Star-Telegram, we now know how aggressive the Vols were in their pursuit of Hoover. 

The Star-Telegram's Steven Johnson reported this weekend that Tennessee offered Hoover a $1 million raise from what he's currently earning at TCU. 

"Tennessee offered Hoover roughly a $1 million more than he currently makes at TCU but Hoover quickly turned down the Vols to remain in Fort Worth," wrote Johnson. "Hoover already has a seven figure salary in Fort Worth." 

Hoover is earning at least $1 million at TCU (it's unclear how much his current NIL deal is worth), which means the Vols offered Hoover a minimum of $2 million to transfer to Tennessee. 

Nico Iamaleava, who entered the transfer portal last week after a surprising and public breakup with the Vols, was set to earn just north of $2 million at Tennessee in 2025. 

Tennessee's interest in Hoover could be considered "tampering", but it's unlikely that anyone from UT's coaching staff had direct contact with the quarterback. Those conversations typically happen via third parties.