Cooper Hodges

Cooper Hodges (born July 13, 2000) is an American football offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Appalachian State and was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Jaguars.

Early years
Hodges was born on July 13, 2000, and grew up in Glen St. Mary, Florida. He attended Baker County High School, being a Super 24 pick and helping the team reach the state championship match in his senior season. A two-star recruit, Hodges committed to play college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

College career
As a true freshman at Appalachian State in 2018, Hodges redshirted and saw no action due to an injury. The following season, he became their starting right tackle and was named second-team all-conference after starting all 14 games. In 2020, Hodges started all 11 games and was named second-team all-conference for the second consecutive year.

Hodges continued as a starter in 2021 and was named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference. 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. He finished his stint at Appalachian State with 51 consecutive starts, over 3,500 snaps played and only seven sacks allowed.

Professional career
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. Although a right tackle at Appalachian State, he was announced as a guard when selected. He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2023.