Four Frogs Added to National Watch Lists Ahead of 2025 Season
8/14/2025 11:05:00 AM | Football
Frogs earn spots on Bednarik, Butkus, Davey O’Brien, Biletnikoff and Manning
FORT WORTH – Four members of the TCU football team have been named to five different preseason award watch lists ahead of the 2025 season.
Quarterback Josh Hoover earned spots on the watch lists for the Davey O'Brien and Manning Award. In addition, safety Bud Clark (Bednarik), linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Butkus) and wide receiver Eric McAlister (Biletnikoff) all earned spots on different watch lists.
Hoover has now been tabbed to three preseason watch lists ahead of his junior season. The Heath, Texas, native is coming off a record-breaking season in which he set TCU's single-season passing record with 3,949 yards as a sophomore. His 66.5 (313-for-471) completion percentage ranked third all-time, while his 27 touchdown passes were tied for fourth all-time. Hoover was one of just four quarterbacks nationally to average 300 yards passing per game (303.8) and have a passer rating of at least 150 (151.1).
Also earning his third preseason watch lists addition, Clark is looking to build off a successful two years with the Frogs. The junior, a two-time team captain for the Frogs, posted a team-high three interceptions last season while totaling the fourth-most tackles at 67. He added two pass breakups, a forced fumble and blocked kick during the season. He was named a second-team All-Big 12 performer. For his career, Clark ranks ninth all-time at TCU with 11 interceptions. In 50 career games played, he has totaled 158 tackles, 13 PBUs, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
Elarms-Orr's Butkus watch list tab marks the first time the junior has earned a spot on a preseason watch list this year. He is looking to build off a successful first year with the Frogs in 2024. The Hayward, California, native played in all 13 contests and placed sixth on TCU with 54 tackles, despite not starting a game.
McAlister also is earning his first watch list addition of the year. The Azle, Texas, native had a standout sophomore season in 2024, his first year with the Frogs. He led the nation with 89.7 percent (35-of-39) of his receptions being for first downs (min. 25 catches) and ranked 10th in the FBS and sixth among Power Four Conference players with his team-best average of 19.5 yards per catch. For the year, he hauled in 762 yards receiving with five touchdowns on 39 receptions.
2025 TCU Football Preseason Honors
Bud Clark
Bednarik Award Watch List
Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Thorpe Award Watch List
Preseason Big 12 All-Conference Team
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Devean Deal
DCTF All-Texas First Team
Coltin Deery
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Butkus Award Watch List
Josh Hoover
Davey O'Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Manning Award Watch List
Eric McAlister
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Preseason Big 12 All-Conference Team
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Namdi Obiazor
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Quarterback Josh Hoover earned spots on the watch lists for the Davey O'Brien and Manning Award. In addition, safety Bud Clark (Bednarik), linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Butkus) and wide receiver Eric McAlister (Biletnikoff) all earned spots on different watch lists.
Hoover has now been tabbed to three preseason watch lists ahead of his junior season. The Heath, Texas, native is coming off a record-breaking season in which he set TCU's single-season passing record with 3,949 yards as a sophomore. His 66.5 (313-for-471) completion percentage ranked third all-time, while his 27 touchdown passes were tied for fourth all-time. Hoover was one of just four quarterbacks nationally to average 300 yards passing per game (303.8) and have a passer rating of at least 150 (151.1).
Also earning his third preseason watch lists addition, Clark is looking to build off a successful two years with the Frogs. The junior, a two-time team captain for the Frogs, posted a team-high three interceptions last season while totaling the fourth-most tackles at 67. He added two pass breakups, a forced fumble and blocked kick during the season. He was named a second-team All-Big 12 performer. For his career, Clark ranks ninth all-time at TCU with 11 interceptions. In 50 career games played, he has totaled 158 tackles, 13 PBUs, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
Elarms-Orr's Butkus watch list tab marks the first time the junior has earned a spot on a preseason watch list this year. He is looking to build off a successful first year with the Frogs in 2024. The Hayward, California, native played in all 13 contests and placed sixth on TCU with 54 tackles, despite not starting a game.
McAlister also is earning his first watch list addition of the year. The Azle, Texas, native had a standout sophomore season in 2024, his first year with the Frogs. He led the nation with 89.7 percent (35-of-39) of his receptions being for first downs (min. 25 catches) and ranked 10th in the FBS and sixth among Power Four Conference players with his team-best average of 19.5 yards per catch. For the year, he hauled in 762 yards receiving with five touchdowns on 39 receptions.
2025 TCU Football Preseason Honors
Bud Clark
Bednarik Award Watch List
Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Thorpe Award Watch List
Preseason Big 12 All-Conference Team
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Devean Deal
DCTF All-Texas First Team
Coltin Deery
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Butkus Award Watch List
Josh Hoover
Davey O'Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Manning Award Watch List
Eric McAlister
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Preseason Big 12 All-Conference Team
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Namdi Obiazor
DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Players Mentioned
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