Instead of the College Football Playoff, TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges might have been playing a whole lot of places.
It could have been any of the 65 FBS schools that he bombarded with emails after deciding to transfer from Navy. Or Hodges could have found a home at any of the FCS schools that became his fallback plan.
Well, if they were interested.
None were. Well, almost none.
“I was actually looking at it a couple of days ago seeing how far I’ve come,” said Hodges, TCU’s leading tackler this season. “I was reaching out to schools like Villanova, William & Mary and Delaware, and schools like that wouldn’t even respond.”
His email was quiet, even though Hodges had started seven games at Navy and ranked fourth on the team in tackles in 2021.
Now, he’s maybe the best example of how TCU (12-1) and first-year coach Sonny Dykes has mined the transfer portal for impact players to reach the playoff and a Dec. 31 game with Michigan (13-0) in the Fiesta Bowl.
Using a similar approach to the one that worked so well at SMU, Dykes targeted players who were intrigued about a second chance at a private school in metropolitan Texas. Talent was only part of the equation, Dykes explained on early national signing day. Things can go sideways fast if the chemistry isn’t there.
“Recruiting is not always about finding the bigger, fastest guys,” Dykes said. “Sometimes it’s about finding, especially from a transfer perspective, somebody who can come in and move the needle in a room.”
TCU brought in 14 total transfers this season, coming up big in positions of need. The fact that the transfers were coming in with a blank slate just like a new coaching staff helped too.
“Big impact,” junior receiver Quintin Johnston said. “They had a lot do with our success this year. … They brought in a new style of play, a lot of ‘em and the coaches had a new game-plan for them.”
Center Alan Ali (SMU) and cornerback Josh Newton (Louisiana-Monroe) were each first-team Big 12 selections. Ali has started 39 games in his career, while Newton leads TCU with 12 pass breakups.
“He wants to be one of those guys. He wants to be great,” All-American cornerback Tre Hodges-Tomlinson said of Newton.
Safety Mark Perry (Colorado) started 12 games and ranks second on the team in tackles with 74.
Then there’s Hodges, the Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year. A little more than 12 months ago, he told his father, Brian, that he was close to walking away from football.
“After a while I told my dad — I’m sorry I’m getting choked up — I was probably done playing football,” Hodges said. “He just logged into my email and pretended to be me. I got this. It means a lot. It’s because of him.”
Apparently, Brian Hodges was able to do a pretty good imitation of his son and through persistence eventually reached the incoming staff at TCU.
“If it wasn’t for my dad I wouldn’t be here,” an emotional Hodges said. “He kept emailing schools, and then [TCU] came into the picture. … He believed in me almost more than I believed in myself.”
It helped that Hodges had a massive game against Dykes and SMU in 2021 with a career-high 14 tackles. And new TCU defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie recalled Hodges having a sack and fumble recovery when Gillespie was at Tulsa.
When Gillespie finally called, Hodges was stunned, not believing the reversal of fortune. He had to keep his emotions in check when Gillespie suggested that Hodges must be weighing a bunch of offers.
Even though Hodges had never been to Texas, he had no reservations.
“I had to pretend there was other stuff going on,” Johnny said. “I told him let me talk to my family about it and pray on it. … As soon as he called, I knew I was coming to TCU.”
The fit was good from the beginning, showing a competitive streak in practice.
Hodges led TCU with 11 tackles in a win over Texas, helping shut down Doak Walker winner Bijan Robinson. Afterwards, he talked about TCU playing with a chip on its collective shoulder against Texas.
Hodges-Tomlinson dropped some old school football knowledge, suggesting Hodges was a throwback to former NFL Hall of Famers like Dick Butkus and Brian Urlacher.
“He plays all-out every down,” Hodges-Tomlinson said. “He’s sideline to sideline. He’s going to hit you in your mouth. He’s going to be there. He’s always going to be in the right spot at the right time.”
Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN
Find more TCU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
