Cooper Hodges, a home town kid who attended Baker County High School, is living a dream come true after he was selected with the 226nd pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Hodges was just a 2-star recruit coming out of Baker County, but he made the most of his opportunity at Appalachian State, becoming just the second Appalachian State player to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday.
At App-State, Hodges made Third-team All-American from Pro Football Focus in 2022. He was a four-time All-Sun Belt selection, including a two-time first-team selection. He started all 51 of his game appearances, while also garnering the distinction as a two-time team captain. Hodges played more than 3,500 snaps giving up only seven sacks in that span.
The Mountaineers knew what they were getting with Hodges. He was a standout lineman for a Baker County team that went 13-2 and reached the Class 5A state final. It was the first championship game appearance in the 72-year history of Baker County’s program. He was a bruiser, and a mauler who out-worked everyone. This quote was from Duval Sports coorespondent BJ Jones after Baker County’s playoff win over Menendez in 2018….
“I want to take time to acknowledge a hidden gem within the Baker County offense that allowed them to complete rushing drives adequately late in the game for Graham and Paige. Offensive lineman Cooper Hodges was spectacular in “people moving” on that offensive front. Whichever side Hodges lines up on, expect them to rush it with success”.
Hodges made the First Team All-Area Duval Sports list in 2017-2018. Not only was he the driving force on the offensive line for the State Runners-Up that year, but he also carried the rock as an unstoppable fullback and blocking back.
The Hodges name is big in Baker County, especially this year. Not just because of the home grown kid coming back to play for the local NFL franchise. But also because of Cooper Hodge’s little brother Hudson Hodges who may be following in his footsteps. Hudson won a county championship this past year with the middle school . So look out for the Hodges name for years to come at both the prep and NFL levels here in Duval!
