Midnite Madness Josh Hoover and Another Offensive Reset at TCU

In this Midnite Madness column, Tom Burke examines Josh Hoover's decision to enter the transfer portal amid another offensive reset at TCU.

Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes walks off the field after a weather delay game stoppage is called during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Just when you thought you had gotten Josh to fall in love with TCU,

You should have known better than to ignore Indiana.

The Hoosiers once again put Josh in their sights,

Funkytown wasn’t a match for that kinda spark.

He’s gonna be a Hoosier, I can tell

By the way he’s changin’ his outfits from purple to red.

And judging by the smile on his face, there’s nothing we can do.

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see,

Even a Horned Frog can always find a way to leave.

Drinkin’ Dr Pepper all by myself,

Josh is choosing Indiana, I can tell ...

You thought former TCU starting quarterback Josh Hoover was different?

You thought he was purple forever?

You thought he would be one of your forever favorite Horned Frogs quarterbacks?

Really?

You were that naïve?

Well, maybe we all were.

But in this day and time, nothing is forever, especially when it comes to teenagers and twenty-something superstar collegiate athletes.

Josh Hoover Has Entered the Transfer Portal

In the case of Hoover, however, perhaps instead of placing the blame on him for jilting the Horned Frogs and entering the transfer portal, we should blame former TCU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles and TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes.

TCU offensive coordinator and associate head coach Kendal Briles talks to quarterback Josh Hoover (10) before the Frogs take the field for an offensive series. | TCU Athletics

Briles came to TCU prior to the 2023 season. He and Hooever quickly built a mutually beneficial relationship. Under Briles’ tutelage, Hoover developed into an elite quarterback.

Hoover committed to TCU in 2021 and entered the program in 2022, when he redshirted.

Hoover took over the starting job midway through the 2023 season, when Chandler Morris went down with a knee injury against Iowa State on October 7, 2023. As a redshirt-freshman, Hoover led TCU in its final six games. He completed 62.08 percent of his passes and threw for 2,206 yards. He threw 15 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. 

In 2024, Hoover had a 66.45 percent completion rate and threw for 3,949 passing yards, which set the TCU single-season passing record. He threw 27 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

For this 2025 season, Hoover threw for 3,472 yards, with a 65.86 percent completion rate. He threw 29 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

Hoover, who graduated in May and has one year of eligibility remaining, led the Frogs to an 8-4 record and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against No. 16 USC.

Over three seasons, Hoover started 31 games, including each game the past two seasons. Since Hoover replaced Morris as the starting quarterback, TCU is 19-12, including a 17-8 record over the last two years.

What Remains at Quarterback After Briles

Since Hoover is leaving the TCU program, he is not playing in the Alamo Bowl.Senior quarterback Ken Seals is expected to start for the Frogs in the bowl game. Seals was a starter at Vanderbilt from 2020-23, but has played sparingly as a Frog over the past two years. In fact, he has only attempted six passes this season. He completed four of the passes for 24 yards. One of the passes was intercepted. He had a long completion of 11 yards.

Ken Seals at Vanderbilt | https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/274085336/vandy-qb-ken-seals-returns-to-texas-commits-to-tcu

Briles has already left the TCU program. He leveraged his success at TCU and with Hoover into an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks position with South Carolina, in the almighty Southeastern Conference. South Carolina, of course, is also the home of former TCU Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati.

Who knew there would be a lure of changing from a Horned Frog into a Gamecock?

A New Voice Will Shape the Offense

Briles leaving did not produce many tears in Funkytown, but obviously the demise of Briles was a blow to Hoover.

And then Dykes fumbled the opportunity and hired a no-name to replace Briles. Well, actually, the new guy does have a name. It’s just not recognizable to most college football fans.

He’s Gordon Sammis. He comes to TCU from the University of Connecticut. Yes, really. Gordon Sammis. From the University of Connecticut, which is a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) independent program.

UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis looks on during a Huskies football game. | UConn Athletic

Sammis was with the Huskies for four years. He is their interim head coach for their December 27 game against Army in the Fenway Bowl, because former Connecticut head coach Jim Mora, Jr., is headed to Colorado State, where he will be the Rams’ new head coach.

For the past two seasons, Sammis ran the offense at UConn, during which time the Huskies posted consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in program history.

Sammis was not the Huskies’ quarterbacks coach. Pryce Tracy held that position, along with the title of passing game coordinator.

For the 2025 regular season, Connecticut quarterback Joe Fagano threw for 3,448 yards (No. 7 nationally). He threw 28 touchdowns and just one interception.

UConn’s offense also boasted wide receiver Skylar Bell, a 2025 Biletnikoff Award finalist, and running back Cam Edwards. Bell accumulated 1,278 receiving yards during the regular season. His 106.5 receiving yards per game ranked second nationally, as did his 101 receptions. Edwards ran for 1,132 rushing yards, which ranked 17th nationally. This was the first time in program history that the Huskies had a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver, and a 1,000-yard rusher.

Who was responsible for Fagano’s, Bell’s, Edwards’, and the Huskies’ offensive success – Sammis or Tracy? Probably a combination of both of them.

Sammis has no Power 4 Conference experience. Before becoming UConn’s offensive coordinator, Sammis was the Huskies’ offensive line coach for three seasons. Prior to Connecticut, Sammis spent three seasons (2019-21) as the offensive line coach at William & Mary and the final two seasons also as the run game coordinator. Prior to William & Mary, Sammis was at Lafayette College (2017-18) and the Virginia Military Institute (2015-16). He also coached at Columbia for three seasons (2012-2014), working with the tight ends and offensive line.

Hoover's Portal Context

So, what was Hoover to do with his final year of college football eligibility? Roll the dice and gamble his future on Sammis being a successful offensive coordinator and an effective quarterback tutor in his first Power 4 Conference roles?

Not a chance, especially with Hoover having so many options and hordes of cash available to him through the transfer portal.

Hoover is said to be one of the most marketable college quarterbacks, with an NIL valuation of about $2.1 million, according to On3.

With the hiring of Sammis, it was obvious to Hoover and many Horned Frogs fans that Dykes was not able to lure to his staff a proven, high-profile Power 4 Conference offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. It also was obvious, and especially to Hoover, that Dykes was committed to going in a different direction with the Frogs’ offense than that which Briles had taken it for the past three years.

It’s a gamble that Dykes obviously thinks is worth it for the future of Horned Frogs’ football.

It’s a gamble that obviously was not worth it for Hoover.

Especially when he probably will have an opportunity to become an Indiana Hoosier, which is what he intended to become before he committed to being a Horned Frog in 2021.

So, don’t blame Hoover for leaving Funkytown.

Blame Briles and Dykes for reintroducing Indiana to Hoover.

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