Josh Hokit (born November 12, 1997) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of Bellator MMA. He formerly played American football as a tight end and fullback in college football at Fresno State and was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He also was a wrestler in college, and earned All-America honors.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | November 12, 1997 Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Clovis (CA) |
| College: | Fresno State |
| Position: | Tight end / Fullback |
| Undrafted: | 2020 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life and education
editHokit was born on November 12, 1997, in Bakersfield, California. He grew up in Wasco, Ca before moving to Clovis, Ca. He attended Clovis High School, excelling in wrestling and football. As a senior in wrestling, he peaked at number three in the nation.[1] In football that year, Hokit recorded 125 tackles as a linebacker and also rushed for 820 yards with eight touchdowns on offense.[2] He originally accepted a wrestling scholarship to Drexel University, but changed his mind when he learned they didn't have a football team.[3]
Hokit walked-on at Fresno State University, and played in all 12 football games as a freshman. His role that year saw him play linebacker, fullback, running back, and on special teams.[4] He made seven tackles on the season, and his best game against Hawaii, where he rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries. As a sophomore, Hokit appeared in all 14 games and started four. He ranked second on the roster with 583 rushing yards, coming on 128 attempts. He also scored seven touchdowns rushing, the ninth-most in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In the season opener, he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jared Rice.[2] After the football season ended, Hokit returned to wrestling, placing fifth in the Big 12 championships.[1][5]
As a junior in 2018, Hokit appeared in 13 of 14 games, making one start. Rushing, he made 260 yards on 73 carries. He scored his lone touchdown of the season against UNLV. He also recorded eight catches for 56 yards, a long of 22.[2] In wrestling, he led the team with 27 wins, and became their first All-America selection since Mario Botelho in 2003.[1][6]
As a senior in 2019, Hokit played in 12 games, making one start in their matchup with Colorado State. He placed fourth on the roster with 287 rushing yards, and second on the team with nine rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 97 receiving yards and one touchdown on 17 catches. He was team captain for the final four games of the year.[2] As a senior in wrestling, he finished the year being named by the NWCA as a second-team All-America selection, after leading Fresno with 24 wins.[1]
Professional career
editSan Francisco 49ers
editAfter going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Hokit was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.[7] He was waived at the final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[8][9] He was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on December 23, and activated on December 28.[10] Hokit was signed to a futures contract on January 4, 2021.[10] He was waived at the 2021 final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[11][12] He was placed on the reserve-COVID-19 list on January 11, 2022.[13] He signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on February 2, 2022.[14] He was waived on August 15, 2022.[15]
Arizona Cardinals
editOn August 18, 2022, Hokit signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but was waived five days later.[16]
Mixed martial arts career
edit| Other names | The Incredible Hok |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 246 lb (112 kg) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Fighting out of | Clovis, California, United States |
| Years active | 2023–present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Bellator MMA
editOn March 1, 2023, it was announced that Hokit had signed with Bellator MMA to start his MMA career.[17]
Hokit made his debut against Spencer Smith on October 7, 2023 at Bellator 300.[18] He won the fight via an arm-triangle submission in the third round.[19]
For his second professional bout, Hokit faced Sean Rose on September 7, 2024 at Bellator Champions Series 4. He won the fight via an armbar submission in the second round.[20]
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 2 matches | 2 wins | 0 losses |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2–0 | Sean Rose | Submission (armbar) | Bellator Champions Series 4 | September 7, 2024 | 2 | 4:58 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Spencer Smith | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Bellator 300 | October 7, 2023 | 3 | 3:48 | San Diego, California, United States | Heavyweight debut. |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Josh Hokit - Wrestling - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
- ^ a b c d "Josh Hokit - Football - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
- ^ "49ers rookie Josh Hokit has considered MMA career after NFL journey". NBC Sports. July 20, 2020.
- ^ Kuwada, Robert (November 18, 2016). "Versatile LB Hokit goes to mat for 'Dogs in two sports". The Fresno Bee. p. C1, C6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Anteola, Bryant-Jon. "With football over, 'Dogs' Hokit wrestles". The Fresno Bee. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Anteola, Bryant-Jon (March 24, 2019). "Fresno State wrestler earns All-America honors at NCAA championships". The Fresno Bee. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Moore, Jackson (April 26, 2020). "Fresno State's Josh Hokit signed by San Francisco 49ers". 247Sports.com.
- ^ Cohn, Grant (September 5, 2020). "San Francisco 49ers Cutdown Tracker: Final Cuts Released". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Frank, Vincent (September 6, 2020). "First Look At The San Francisco 49ers' 16-Man Practice Squad". Forbes.
- ^ a b "Josh Hokit Transactions & Injuries". Sports Forecaster.
- ^ "Josh Hokit: Waived by San Fran". CBS Sports. August 31, 2021.
- ^ Bonilla, David (September 6, 2021). "49ers 2020 16-Player Practice Squad Tracker". 49ersWebZone.com.
- ^ "Josh Hokit: Moves to COVID-19 list". CBS Sports. January 11, 2022.
- ^ "49ers Sign 11 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts". 49ers.com. February 2, 2022.
- ^ "49ers release Darqueze Dennard, waive three". NBCSports.com. August 15, 2022.
- ^ Simmons, Myles (August 18, 2022). "Cardinals sign Josh Hokit". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
- ^ Barrasso, Justin. "Josh Hokit Signs Multi-Fight Deal With Bellator". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Historic Bellator 300 gets eight new prelim fights". MMA Junkie. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 300 Highlight Video: Josh Hokit Taps Spencer Smith". Sherdog. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Hokit showcases grappling prowess to score first-round submission in last-second fashion". bellator.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Lombardi, David (July 19, 2020). "'Walk-on mentality': Can Josh Hokit take Fresno State stardom to 49ers success?". The Athletic.