One of the best picks of the Rams’ 2023 draft was TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round. He helped the Horned Frogs reach the national championship last season where they lost to Stetson Bennett and the Georgia Bulldogs, but he was an excellent player in college, nonetheless.
Here are five things to know about the Rams’ new cornerback, who comes from NFL bloodlines and is an award-winner himself.
1
He’s LaDainian Tomlinson’s nephew
Hodges-Tomlinson comes from an NFL bloodline, being the nephew of Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. They both attended TCU and were standout players there, earning recognition as the best players at their respective positions.
Tomlinson won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back in 2000, and last season, Hodges-Tomlinson was named the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the top defensive back.
2
He won the Jim Thorpe Award last season as the nation’s top DB
Hodges-Tomlinson is undersized but that didn’t stop him from making big plays. He allowed a completion rate of only 34.6% last season, giving up 28 receptions on 81 targets, forcing an FBS-high 21 incompletions. There wasn’t a better defensive back in the country, according to voters of the Jim Thorpe Award, so at least the Rams are getting a cornerback with some hardware on his shelf.
3
He has 4.41 speed and a 39-inch vertical
When you’re 5-foot-8, you better have some serious speed and quickness. Hodges-Tomlinson has both, along with impressive explosiveness. He ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 39 inches in the vertical, showing off his wheels and leaping ability.
That allows him to make plays on the ball in coverage and jump routes to break up passes.
4
Led FBS cornerbacks with 21 forced incompletions
No player in the FBS last season forced more incompletions in coverage than Hodges-Tomlinson. Granted, he was targeted 81 times, but he forced an incompletion on more than a quarter of those throws. He had 15 pass breakups alone last season, constantly deflecting throws in his area.
5
Allowed a completion rate of just 34.6% in coverage
It’s a wonder why quarterbacks continued to test Hodges-Tomlinson as much as they did last season. They constantly threw his way, yet they completed passes only 34.6% of the time. He provided tight coverage and used his speed to make up ground when he was beat, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
