Earlier this week, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson shared that TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges was invited to the Los Angeles Chargers rookie minicamp. Hodges is a Montgomery County native from Darnestown who graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2019.
While at Quince Orchard, Hodges was a three-sport athlete– earning three letters in football, four in lacrosse, and one in basketball. As a senior, he was recognized as a First-Team All-Met inside linebacker while helping lead Quince Orchard to the 2018 Maryland 4A state championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Additionally, he earned Honorable-Mention All-Met honors in lacrosse during his junior year.
As a team captain his senior year at TCU, Hodges led the Horned Frogs with 89 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, while starting all 13 games. He tied a season-high with nine tackles– as recorded during the snow in the 20-13 win at Cincinnati– and posted a season-best 2.0 tackles for loss amid eight stops against UCF. He recorded eight tackles, including a sack, at Baylor before tallying a team-best eight solo tackles and a quarterback hurry in the 38-27 victory over Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium. In addition, he combined for eight stops in the 35-34 win over Texas Tech, led TCU with seven tackles in the 49-28 victory over Arizona, and opened the season with nine stops in the 34-27 win at Stanford.
Hodges transferred to TCU after two seasons at Navy and emerged as a breakout star in 2022, earning All-Big 12 Second Team and Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors. In 2022, he started 14 games, leading the TCU with 87 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Injuries limited him to four games in 2023, but Hodges returned for a final season in 2024, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after posting 89 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He concluded his three-year TCU career with 204 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five sacks.
CAREER HONORS
– 2024 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12
– 2023 Second-Team Academic All-Big 12
– 2022 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year
– 2022 Second-Team All-Big 12
– 2022 Associated Press Second-Team All-Big 12
– 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, vs. Texas
– 2022 Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week, vs. Texas Tech
Statistical information courtesy of TCU