Veteran QB pulls back the curtain further on why he said no to Tennessee Vols after Nico Iamaleava hit the transfer portal, and it's hard to blame him

Sometimes you're just where you're meant to be, and that's good enough.  That's apparently the case with TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who the Tennessee Vols apparently courted back in April after Nico Iamaleava hit the transfer portal. 

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Hoover dove deeper into why he said no to Josh Heupel and decided to remain with the Horned Frogs despite a significantly higher NIL package being offered by Tennessee. 

Hoover taught himself to rope, will occasionally wear spurs and has already broken the news to his parents that the area known as "Cowtown" will be where he settles later in life. Cowboy boots, after all, are part of his normal attire.

"Going to Dallas is kind of overwhelming for me sometimes," he told ESPN with a smile at Big 12 media days. "All the traffic and all that. So Fort Worth's good. It's slower, and it's just a cool town. It's kind of a Western-type town, too. Kind of fits." - Pete Thamel, ESPN.com

Thamel added a story about when Hoover found out that Tennessee was pursuing him.  He was on the golf course when his agent called, and his answer was quick and decisive. 

And it's why when he was golfing this spring and his agent called to let him know Tennessee was interested in him as a Nico Iamaleava replacement, he didn't even wait to hear what the offer was. He was more worried about hitting his tee shot.

"He didn't even say a number," Hoover said. "I just said, 'No, that's not what I want to do.' It was pretty simple."

When Alex Hoover, Josh's dad, relays the same story, his voice gets choked up with emotion. He recalls his son telling him: "What kind of captain would I be? What kind of player would I be if I left? I gave my teammates my word that I'd be back."

Hoover had a solid season in 2024 for the Horned Frogs.  He completed 66.5% of his passes for 3949 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at the Power Four level, which is solid. It's no secret why Heupel was pushing for him and Illinois' Luke Altmyer, one of the best QBs in the Big Ten. 

But in the end, Tennessee got former UCLA and App State QB Joey Aguilar out of the portal, who's shown a knack for making plays on the field.  With that playmaking ability combined with Heupel's ability to get put his QBs in position to limit mistakes (no Tennessee QB has thrown more than 5 interceptions during his tenure), there's reason for optimism in Knoxville in 2025 at the QB position. 

As such, perhaps things worked out for the best for both Tennessee and Hoover in 2025 and beyond.