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The TCU football team saw offensive coordinator Kendal Briles swiped by South Carolina. It’s now trying to hold onto its starting signal caller.
Head coach Sonny Dykes is currently “fundraising” to keep Josh Hoover in Fort Worth. Can the Horned Frogs hold onto their quarterback?
Doing so will provide stability during a time of change. It will also set TCU up for success in 2026.
Who is TCU football star Josh Hoover?
The quarterback is considered one of the top players in the nation. He entered the 2025 campaign as one of the nation’s leading returning passers. His success continued as a junior.
Hoover has been on campus for four seasons. After redshirting as a freshman, he’s appeared in 35 games across the last three years.
The gunslinger has completed more than 65% of his attempts while piling up nearly 10,000 yards.
Last year, Hoover set a career mark with 29 passing touchdowns. Still, he is not considered a top NFL Draft prospect… yet.
Hoover finished sixth in the FBS with 3,472 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, a nod to his explosive, productive redshirt junior season. But he also threw 13 interceptions, the third-most in the FBS. At his best, the 6′ 2″, 200-pound Hoover has the pocket presence, arm talent and field vision to dissect defenses, but he was too volatile this season. Hoover needs to limit his lapses and be smarter with his aggression, but he has tremendous tools, so much so that he could be in the first-round discussion in 2027.
Hoover had some turnover issues as a junior. He’ll look to clean them as a senior before moving onto the league.
He’ll be forced to do so under a new play caller.
Kendal Briles is leaving while Sonny Dykes fundraises.
The offensive coordinator is headed back to the SEC. Briles’ stint with the Horned Frogs will be sandwiched between stops at Arkansas and South Carolina.
It is unlikely Hoover will follow his play caller to Columbia as the Gamecocks are hopeful to keep their own quarterback in LaNorris Sellers.
That does not mean a transfer is completely off the table for Hoover.
Dykes admitted that outside suitors are already gunning for his quarterback. He is doing what he can to keep him put.
Dykes said teams are already coming after Josh Hoover and he’s ‘fundraising’ to keep him here.
— S. Johnson (@StevenMJohnson_) December 9, 2025
According to On3 Sports’ NIL Valuations, the TCU football star is worth an estimated $2 million. It makes him the 13th-highest valued QB in the nation.
That number could go up with only one year left to play. His decision to leave would potentially be made easier given the uncertainty on the coaching staff. TCU will lean on a strong donor base for NIL backing.
Kendal Briles’ exit may or may not impact Josh Hoover’s transfer decision. The Horned Frogs are doing what they can to ensure he finishes his career in Fort Worth.