Johnny Hodges is used to being underrated and unwanted. Now he’s undefeated.
Hodges starred at Quince Orchard in football, lacrosse and basketball helping lead the Cougars to the Maryland 4A state championship in football in 2018 as an All-Met linebacker. Quince Orchard head coach John Kelley described Hodges to MyMCM as “ultra competitive, a great leader, a great player” and possessing “all the intangibles.”
After his senior season, Hodges received no offers from Power 5 schools and ended up at the Naval Academy where he played one game for the lacrosse team before COVID-19 cut the season short.
He missed football and was able to convince the coaches to give him a shot. After two seasons with the Midshipmen, including a very solid sophomore season, he decided he wanted to play for a bigger program so he entered the transfer portal where he garnered no interest.“I probably reached out to 60 college coaches, every Power Five. Not a single one responded,” Hodges said a couple of weeks ago. Then TCU head coach Sonny Dykes gave Hodges his only scholarship offer. Hodges had 14 tackles and an interception for Navy against SMU when Dykes coached there. The coach remembered.
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The Darnestown native, now a junior, has quickly became one of the best players for the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs who beat Baylor Saturday on a 40-yard field goal on the game’s final play to improve to 11-0. Kelley said “I’m not surprised. He is one of the best ever” at Quince Orchard and now “he’s on national TV every week.”
