TCU QB Josh Hoover recounts wildly brief courtship by Tennessee
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TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was a target for Tennessee when, in the spring, its quarterback situation devolved into chaos and Nico Iamaleava bolted for UCLA.
But Tennessee was never a consideration for Hoover.
In a profile of the junior quarterback by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday, Hoover briefly discussed his courtship by Tennessee earlier this year. The Vols contacted Hoover’s agent to express their interest and test the water. Hoover’s agent then called him while he was out golfing. Hoover had no interest in the conversation.
From Thamel’s feature:
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.”
Thamel also noted that TCU head coach Sonny Dykes never felt the need to have a conversation with Hoover about Tennessee.
Hoover set TCU’s single-season passing record last season with 3,949 yards. He completed 66.5% of his throws and tossed 27 touchdowns against 11 picks. As an option to replace Iamaleava, Hoover made a ton of sense for Tennessee. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in April that Tennessee offered an NIL package that was more than $1 million larger than the one Hoover had at TCU.
Tennessee quickly turned its attention to former App State quarterback Joey Aguilar. Aguilar was briefly part of the UCLA program this offseason until Iamaleava showed up.
In 2 seasons for App State, Aguilar threw for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns with 24 picks. He and the Vols begin the new season on Aug. 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
