TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover is returning for the 2025 season, with some fans believing he is the best returning Big 12 QB.
Josh Hoover May Be the Best Returning Big 12 QB
The TCU Horned Frogs shocked everybody when they made the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game. Despite the 65-7 defeat to the Georgia Bulldogs, TCU has since seen itself become a potential threat in the playoff and Big 12 Conference.
It hasn’t been so easy since the CFP title game, though. The Horned Frogs went 5-7 in 2023 but improved to 9-4 with Hoover behind center. As a sophomore, he threw for an impressive 3949 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, enough to have some fans believing Hoover is the best returning QB in the Big 12.
Where does Josh Hoover rank on your list of returning Big 12 QBs?pic.twitter.com/LKOTt970Ll
— College Sports Network (@CFN365) February 15, 2025
There were some mixed reactions to CFN’s post on X (some of which may just be social media talk). Many said he took the top spot with one person claiming “1 feels too low.” Others claim he is not top five, but again, we have to take all social media posts with a grain of salt.
In 2024, Hoover ranked seventh in the entire country in passing yards and tied for 16th in passing touchdowns. Perhaps the most underrated QB of the season, he has the belief to make any throw on the field, and a lot of times, he completes them.
If Hoover is on his game, the Horned Frogs are a really good team to watch, and as he enters his junior season, his NFL hype may start to increase.
How Does Hoover Compare to the Rest of the Big 12?
Hoover was arguably the second best QB in the Big 12 last season after Shadeur Sanders. Sanders was the only QB in the conference with more passing yards than Hoover and that was with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter on the roster.
On the other hand, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson threw one more TD than Hoover with Texas Tech’s Behren Morton also throwing 27 on the season. Both Robertson and Morton were juniors last season on similar standard of teams to that of TCU.
One player who doesn’t have the stats to back it up but is a threat to the throne is Sam Leavitt of the Arizona State Sun Devils. After back-to-back 3-9 seasons, Leavitt led his program to an 11-3 record and the Big 12 title.
The four-seeded Sun Devils were beaten by the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, but Leavitt is back for another go. He ranked eighth in the Big 12 for passing yards with 2885, throwing 24 TDs and six interceptions — those numbers will jump this coming season.
Iowa State’s Rocco Becht and BYU’s Jake Retzlaff are both deserving of a mention after their 11-3 and 11-2 seasons respectively. Both are great but statistically were below Hoover and Sanders atop the Big 12 QB rankings in 2024.
Hoover’s ability to beat a team with his arm is a problem, however he really hasn’t shown any mobility on the ground. All four of is rushing touchdowns were in goal line situations and his longest run of the season was 12 yards. With the way football is evolving, that ability to change the game with your legs is something he’d hope to improve on.
He is very much an old-school pocket passer and gets the ball out quickly. Hoover’s accuracy is great and his arm strength just adds to the passing skill, but he sometimes lacks a little when he is flushed out and has to throw on the run.
KEEP READING: QB Josh Hoover Returns to TCU in a Class of His Own
Overall, Hoover is a very underrated QB heading into the 2025 season, and improving on 2024 will really create some buzz. Another big year from Hoover could propel TCU towards a playoff spot and potential conference title.
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