{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Cooper Hodges | image = | alt = | caption = | current_team = | number = | position = Guard | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|7|13}} | birth_place = Glen St. Mary, Florida, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lbs = 305 | high_school = Baker County {{nowrap|(Glen St. Mary)}} | college = Appalachian State (2018–2022) | draftyear = 2023 | draftround = 7 | draftpick = 226 | pastteams = * Jacksonville Jaguars ({{nfly|2023|2025}}) | status = | highlights = * 2× First-team All-Sun Belt (2021, 2022) * 2× Second-team All-Sun Belt (2019, 2020) | statweek = | statseason = 2025 | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 9 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 1 | pfr = HodgCo00 }}
'''Cooper Hodges''' (born July 13, 2000) is an American professional football guard. He played college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers and was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
==Early life== Hodges was born on July 13, 2000, and grew up in Glen St. Mary, Florida.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/cooper-hodges|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=NFL Draft Profile: Cooper Hodges, Offensive Lineman, Appalachian State Mountaineers|date=January 13, 2023}}</ref> He attended Baker County High School, being a Super 24 pick and helping the team reach the state championship match in his senior season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2023/04/29/seventh-round-jaguars-draft-baker-county-grad-cooper-hodges-2-others-to-close-draft/|website=News4Jax.com|publisher=WJXT|title=Seventh round: Jaguars draft Baker County grad Cooper Hodges, 2 others to close draft|author=Barney, Justin|date=April 29, 2023}}</ref> A two-star recruit, Hodges committed to play college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers.<ref name="auto1"/>
==College career== As a true freshman at Appalachian State in 2018, Hodges redshirted and saw no action due to an injury.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/sports/college/asu/cooper-hodges-and-nick-hampton-are-making-an-impact-for-app-state-this-season-their/article_b7db469b-40d2-5cb5-9dba-c2686820f102.html|newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal|title=Cooper Hodges and Nick Hampton are making an impact for App State this season. Their path to this point wasn't straight.|date=October 2, 2019|author=Joyce, Ethan|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The following season, he became their starting right tackle and was named second-team all-conference after starting all 14 games.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://appstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/cooper-hodges/7636|publisher=Appalachian State Mountaineers|title=Cooper Hodges}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/draft/2023-nfl-draft-jaguars-select-ol-cooper-hodges-dl-raymond-vahasek-in-7th|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=2023 NFL Draft: Jaguars Select OL Cooper Hodges, DL Raymond Vahasek in 7th|author=Shipley, John|date=April 29, 2023}}</ref> In 2020, Hodges started all 11 games and was named second-team all-conference for the second consecutive year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2021/01/19/college-football-2020-full-list-fbs-players-jacksonville-area/6593613002/|newspaper=The Florida Times-Union|date=January 19, 2021|url-access=subscription|title=Charting Northeast Florida football players in FBS in 2020-21}}</ref>
Hodges continued as a starter in 2021 and was named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/appalachian-state/Article/APP-STATES-COOPER-HODGES-DRAFTED-BY-JACKSONVILLE-209207782/|website=247Sports|title=App State's Cooper Hodges Drafted By Jacksonville|date=April 29, 2023}}</ref> As a senior in 2022, he appeared in 12 games and earned third-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus, additionally being an All-Sun Belt choice for the fourth-straight season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jaguarswire.usatoday.com/2023/04/29/cooper-hodges-appalachian-state-2023-nfl-draft-jaguars/|newspaper=USA Today|title=Jaguars draft Appalachian State G Cooper Hodges with No. 226 pick|author=Stites, Adam|date=April 29, 2023}}</ref> He finished his stint at Appalachian State with 51 consecutive starts, over 3,500 snaps played and only seven sacks allowed.<ref name="auto1"/>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 3 1/2 | weight = 311 | dash = 5.11 | ten split = 1.90 | twenty split = 2.88 | shuttle = 4.71 | cone drill = 7.90 | vertical = 29.0 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 0 | bench = 29 | arm span = 33 | hand span = 9 | note = Sources:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/videos/jaguars-select-cooper-hodges-with-no-226-pick-in-2023-draft |title=Jaguars select Cooper Hodges with No. 226 pick in 2023 draft |website=NFL.com |access-date=May 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1030144&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Cooper Hodges College Football Profile |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}</ref> }} Hodges was selected in the seventh round (226th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft by his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars, who originally acquired the pick in a trade with the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Laviska Shenault.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jaguarswire.usatoday.com/2023/04/30/cooper-hodges-jaguars-baker-county-glen-st-mary-appalachian-state/|newspaper=USA Today|title=Lifelong Jaguars fan Cooper Hodges happy to be drafted by 'dream team'|author=Stites, Adam|date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> Although a right tackle at Appalachian State, he was announced as a guard when selected.<ref name="auto2"/> He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roster Moves: Jaguars Add Two to Active Roster and Four to Practice Squad|url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/jaguars-add-players-to-active-roster-and-practice-squad|website=Jaguars.com|date=August 31, 2023}}</ref>
On June 4, 2025, Hodges was waived by the Jaguars following a failed physical and reverted to the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list the following day.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bretl |first1=Paul |date=June 4, 2025 |title=Jaguars waive offensive lineman to make roster room for Dennis Gardeck signing |url=https://jaguarswire-eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/jaguars/2025/06/04/jaguars-waive-offensive-lineman-to-make-roster-room-for-dennis-gardeck-signing/84036268007/ |access-date=5 June 2025 |website=Jaguars Wire|publisher=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 June 2025 |title=Roster Moves: Jaguars Waive RB Keilan Robinson, OL Cooper Hodges on PUP List |url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/k000030-roster-moves-jaguars-waive-rb-keilan-robinson-ol-cooper-hodges-on-pup-list |access-date=6 June 2025 |website=Jaguars.com}}</ref>
On April 17, 2026, the Jaguars waived Hodges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/k000600-roster-moves-jaguars-trade-for-dl-ruke-orhorhoro|work=Jaguars.com|title=Roster Moves: Jaguars Trade for DL Ruke Orhorhoro|date=April 17, 2026|accessdate=April 17, 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://appstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/cooper-hodges/7636 Appalachian State Mountaineers bio]
{{Jaguars2023DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodges, Cooper}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:People from Baker County, Florida Category:Players of American football from Florida Category:American football offensive guards Category:Appalachian State Mountaineers football players Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players