Sad News: TCU Horned Frogs medical doctor Said The Star player will be leaving for a career ending injury due to……….

With Johnny Hodges out with a hand injury, TCU LB Shad Banks will start versus SMU.

TCU’s 34-17 victory over the SMU Mustangs on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium came without one of its top defenders. Sonny Dykes, TCU’s head coach, stated that Johnny Hodges has a thumb injury. Shad Banks started in place of Hodges, who averages 21 tackles per game.

“It’s going to be kind of a week to week thing for awhile,” Dykes stated. “It happened last week in the Houston game, and we really didn’t know about it until the middle of the week or how serious it was.” Hodges, a 2022 Second Team All-Big 12 selection and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, has been an important part of defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie’s defence. In the first three games of the 2023 season, Hodges recorded three tackles for loss and two sacks. His successor, Banks, has nine tackles for loss and one sack. Hodges had four tackles, two for a loss, and a sack in Week 3 versus Houston.

Banks made five tackles in the win on Saturday. Dykes said Banks did a fantastic job filling in for Hodges during his absence, carried the weight well, and he’s looking forward to seeing how he grows in the future. “Johnny (Hodges) is a hard guy to replace because he’s played so much football,” Dykes stated. Last season, Banks made 39 total tackles and four tackles for loss while appearing in all 15 games. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Banks stepped up in the Big 12 Championship game against Kansas State, recording a career and team-high ten tackles.

“He’s got a chance to be a really good football player,” Dykes stated. “He’s a powerful, agile, strong, and physical football player… Just keep learning, maturing, and getting reps.” The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Hodges transferred from Navy after his sophomore season and led the Frogs with 87 tackles during their march to the College Football Playoff.