4 Horned Frogs Named Preseason All-Big 12
7/5/2023 1:00:00 PM | Football
TCU leads the way on defense with 3 recipients
IRVING, Texas -- TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges, place-kicker Griffin Kell, cornerback Josh Newton and defensive lineman Damonic Williams have been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team selected by conference media.
The Horned Frogs' three selections on defense top the Big 12. TCU's four overall recipients tie for second, one off the lead.
Hodges was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Second-Team All-Big 12 last season. His team-best 87 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, were the most by a Horned Frog since 2020 (Garret Wallow, 90). Hodges earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after a season-high 11 stops, including 1.5 for loss, as TCU held Texas to 199 yards of total offense in a 17-10 win in Austin. He also reached double figures with a team-best 10 tackles in victories over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Kell was First-Team All-Big 12 last season as he went 17-of-19 on field goals, including a 40-yard kick as time expired to beat Baylor, 29-28, and provide one of the nation's most memorable plays of the season. His 89.5 made percentage tied for 14th nationally, while his streak of 12 consecutive makes tied for fifth-best in TCU history. He had a career long 54-yard field goal against Iowa State. He made a season-best three field goals in the 43-40 double-overtime win over Oklahoma State and a fourth quarter 33-yard field goal for TCU's final points in the 51-45 College Football Playoff Semifinal win over Michigan.
Newton was First-Team All-Big 12 in his first season at TCU and appears on multiple Preseason All-America teams in 2023. He started all 15 games and ranked second on the team and in the Big 12 with 12 pass breakups, trailing only teammate and 2022 Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (15). Newton tied for second on the Horned Frogs with three interceptions, including one returned 57 yards for a touchdown in a win over Iowa State. He totaled 35 stops on the year. He recorded a tackle for loss at Colorado on the opening play of the season and his first snap as a Horned Frog.
Williams earned Freshman All-America honors and was Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year last season. He started all 15 games and made his TCU debut at the age of 17 in the season-opening win at Colorado. He had an immediate impact when he combined on a stop for no gain when the Buffaloes went for it on 4th-and-1 at the TCU 15 on the game's opening series. He totaled 27 tackles on the year, including a career-high six with one for loss in the victory over Oklahoma State. He posted a sack in the 55-24 rout of Oklahoma and 1.5 TFLs with a forced fumble in the 38-28 win over Kansas State.
The Horned Frogs' three selections on defense top the Big 12. TCU's four overall recipients tie for second, one off the lead.
Hodges was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Second-Team All-Big 12 last season. His team-best 87 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, were the most by a Horned Frog since 2020 (Garret Wallow, 90). Hodges earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after a season-high 11 stops, including 1.5 for loss, as TCU held Texas to 199 yards of total offense in a 17-10 win in Austin. He also reached double figures with a team-best 10 tackles in victories over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Kell was First-Team All-Big 12 last season as he went 17-of-19 on field goals, including a 40-yard kick as time expired to beat Baylor, 29-28, and provide one of the nation's most memorable plays of the season. His 89.5 made percentage tied for 14th nationally, while his streak of 12 consecutive makes tied for fifth-best in TCU history. He had a career long 54-yard field goal against Iowa State. He made a season-best three field goals in the 43-40 double-overtime win over Oklahoma State and a fourth quarter 33-yard field goal for TCU's final points in the 51-45 College Football Playoff Semifinal win over Michigan.
Newton was First-Team All-Big 12 in his first season at TCU and appears on multiple Preseason All-America teams in 2023. He started all 15 games and ranked second on the team and in the Big 12 with 12 pass breakups, trailing only teammate and 2022 Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (15). Newton tied for second on the Horned Frogs with three interceptions, including one returned 57 yards for a touchdown in a win over Iowa State. He totaled 35 stops on the year. He recorded a tackle for loss at Colorado on the opening play of the season and his first snap as a Horned Frog.
Williams earned Freshman All-America honors and was Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year last season. He started all 15 games and made his TCU debut at the age of 17 in the season-opening win at Colorado. He had an immediate impact when he combined on a stop for no gain when the Buffaloes went for it on 4th-and-1 at the TCU 15 on the game's opening series. He totaled 27 tackles on the year, including a career-high six with one for loss in the victory over Oklahoma State. He posted a sack in the 55-24 rout of Oklahoma and 1.5 TFLs with a forced fumble in the 38-28 win over Kansas State.
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