All offseason, the buzz around college football quarterbacks centered on big names — Arch Manning at Texas, Cade Klubnik at Clemson, Drew Allar at Penn State, and Garrett Nussmeier at LSU. Meanwhile, Josh Hoover quietly went about his work in Fort Worth, largely overlooked in the national conversation.
That changed in Week 1.
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The TCU junior delivered one of the strongest performances of the opening weekend, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 48–14 rout of North Carolina. On a night when NFL scouts packed the stands and the spotlight was on UNC’s new head coach, Bill Belichick, it was Hoover who stole the show.
It was the kind of performance that can vault a quarterback from underrated to unavoidable. And it came after he and some of his teammates entered the stadium wearing “Jesus Won” shirts from TCU FCA.
📍 Kenan Stadium pic.twitter.com/AzcMGkA7dQ
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) September 1, 2025
What keeps Hoover motivated and grounded on and off the field isn’t his draft stock, it’s his faith in Jesus. “The goodness of God blows me away,” he wrote in a first-person article for TCU in 2023.
“I spend quiet time with God every day. His opinion is the only one that matters, so outside noise — good or bad — doesn’t affect me,” Hoover added. “I already know what He thinks about each and every one of us. He has our back. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we know our worth because He has created us. Whether it be encouraging a teammate or saying hi to someone in passing, I strive to uplift others with this same truth.”
Hoover — who puts the Bible verse Luke 10:2 in both his Instagram and X bios — grew up just down the road from TCU, going to games with his dad and dreaming of one day taking the field himself. His parents modeled a life of faith and integrity, and he said that foundation continues to shape the way he handles success and adversity alike.
“My parents raised my siblings and me to be people of character, integrity and faith,” Hoover wrote. “Being on my own at college has only pulled me closer into my walk with God, as I make my own decisions to grow and develop spiritually, and physically.”
He enrolled at TCU a semester early to jumpstart his football career, which he said was one of the toughest decisions he had to make and ended up being one of the most challenging seasons of his life. His friends were still finishing high school, and he was one of just two incoming freshmen who moved to campus earlier. He gave up his senior baseball season and the opportunity to play with his brother.
But that season of life shaped him into who he is today, he said.
“During spring practice that year, my body didn’t feel good. I wasn’t healthy, and it physically hurt to wake up every morning,” he wrote. “But that struggle helped me figure out, ‘I’m going to have to get better at this.'”
He decided to redshirt, and he said that season “transformed” him.
“I grew up mentally and started gaining confidence in what I was doing,” he wrote. “Today, I’m 30 pounds lighter, and I value every single opportunity to grow and continue in my personal journey. Potential is just potential if you don’t have the willingness to reach it. But knowing I haven’t come close to my ceiling keeps me up at night, and working at our facility all day long, even in the offseason.”
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In that 2023 season — his first as a starter — Hoover threw for 2,206 yards and 15 touchdowns. He followed that up with a TCU single-season passing record of 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns last year. Before the 2025 season, he was named to several award watch lists, including the Davey O’Brien Award, the Maxwell Award, the Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
If Hoover continues on this path, he could work his way into first-round NFL Draft conversations.
This week, Hoover and the Horned Frogs are off before hosting Abilene Christian in their home opener Sept. 13. After that, they’ll go up against SMU and Arizona State, both of which are top-25 teams. But as Hoover looks to build upon his strong performance from Week 1, his focus remains the same: honor God, love his teammates and keep perspective.
“Winning is the greatest, but ultimately, no one will remember the scores to our games,” he wrote. “Life is about relationships. I am driven by the love I have for this game, and the love I have for people. It’s fun to be out there throwing the ball, but I am here to grow with my teammates.
“I work to be the best player I can be, not only because this game means the world to me, but because I strive to make a lasting impact in the communities God places me to serve.”
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