FORT WORTH, Texas — Months before Josh Hoover informed coach Sonny Dykes he was transferring, TCU’s personnel staff had compiled a list of quarterback targets.Not because they thought Hoover would transfer. Heading into the 2025 season, the hope was that Hoover would lead TCU to a Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff and then move on to the next level.“We thought there was real potential that he would go to the (NFL) draft,” general manager Ryan Dorchester said.But that’s not what happened. After an up-and-down 8-4 regular season, Hoover departed — ending up at reigning national champion Indiana — and suddenly, TCU needed a new starting quarterback.Eighteen days later, the Horned Frogs signed Jaden Craig, a former zero-star recruit who starred in relative anonymity at Harvard for the previous two seasons.How does a team prepare for the unexpected — losing a multi-year starting quarterback — and still land its top target in the portal? By always having a plan.In April 2025, after Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee parted ways, Hoover rebuffed overtures from the Vols to remain at TCU. So there was no expectation from the staff, at least at that time, that he would finish his college career anywhere other than Fort Worth.Still, the front office began building a list of quarterbacks to scout in case Hoover declared for the 2026 draft.“At no point was there a thought that he was gonna transfer,” Dorchester said. “We hadn’t even really considered it.”TCU had a specific profile: an upperclassman with one year of eligibility left, not a multi-year option, because the staff envisions 2025 high school signee Adam Schobel as the quarterback of the future. Schobel has yet to take a collegiate snap, so they needed a bridge option until he’s more seasoned.Dorchester said the staff first noticed Craig while watching film of former Harvard receiver Cooper Barkate when he entered the portal after the 2024 season.“He played the game efficiently, didn’t put the ball in jeopardy,” Dorchester said of his first impression of Craig. “He was decisive, and you could tell he had a good arm.”By the end of last spring, TCU had roughly 10 quarterbacks on the list, all would-be seniors. As the season progressed, others they liked popped up, but not many who fit their profile. As they continued the evaluation process, Craig remained high on their list.It was still a backup plan, in theory. Hoover had a solid year, but wasn’t garnering the type of draft buzz that would make a jump enticing. As agents called and inquired deep into the season whether TCU would be in the quarterback market, Dorchester’s answer was still “no.”But Dykes said he sensed a shift with Hoover, and by mid-November, he thought it was possible the Horned Frogs could be in the transfer quarterback market.Dykes said there wasn’t one specific moment that triggered that feeling. “You just picked up on the vibe, and he picked up on the vibe from us,” he said. “You just know when things aren’t right.“It was one of those deals where we were all kind of like, ‘Maybe it’s time for something else.’”