BOULDER — As soon as he heard the news, Preston Hodge celebrated with his family.

Late last year, the NCAA granted a waiver to former junior college players for an extra year of eligibility for the 2025 season. Hodge, a cornerback from Texas who came to Colorado from Liberty prior to the 2024 season thinking he had only a year of college football left, now had a decision to make.

The decision, actually, had been made for him.

After beginning the season with some excellent play for the Buffaloes at the nickel cornerback spot, including two interceptions in the first five games, an injury caused Hodge to miss the final four games.

The landmark NCAA ruling gave him a chance to leave college on his own terms.

“Ecstatic, excited,” Hodge said of his reaction. “It was a blessing from God. I wouldn’t change it for the world, how it went down.”

The people with whom he celebrated the news shows how much Hodge has changed since he arrived in Boulder in January 2024. He and his longtime girlfriend had their first child, a boy, at the beginning of last season and the pair got married a few months ago.

“I feel like a different person this year,” Hodge told The Denver Gazette.

The Waxahachie, Texas, native is trying to show that on the field with everything he does. The typically soft-spoken Hodge has become a vocal leader in the cornerback room and even changed his number from 24 to 4 to make sure everyone knows he’s not the same guy.

“God blessed me with another year (of eligibility) and I promised myself that I wouldn’t be the same Preston,” Hodge said. “I decided to switch my number to No. 4 and just be a better version of me, which is (to) step up out of my comfort zone, try to be that leader, that dawg, and that’s what I’ve done this offseason.”

The Buffs coaching staff has taken notice, too.

“Preston and I had some real conversations around the draft last year. He’s a great kid. He’s what college football is about,” defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said. “We got lucky (that) he got another year and he’s made the most of it. If you look at his body (and) the way he’s transformed it, who he is in the meeting rooms, how he is a leader — he’ll tell you, a year ago he was just trying to make it. You’re a new guy at a new school in a new environment. Obviously, the lights here are a little bit brighter than where he came from.

“I just see him more comfortable in his own skin and we’ll go as he goes. He’s a huge part of this. I’m excited to see his last ride.”

That means letting Hodge do what he does best: play man coverage in the slot.

“It’s who I am,” Hodge said.

Now, with an improved sense of purpose and some more motivation from within his own home, Hodge is trying to bring his teammates to his level.

“I’m excited about where (he) can go. He’s been doing a great job of being that leader that we need on the back end,” cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis said. “Him and DJ (McKinney) both have stepped up tremendously. They’re leading that (defensive backs) room and they’re leading the whole defense and not just by their actions, (with) the way they’re playing on the field, leading guys in the film room.

“Preston has come miles and miles (from where he was last year) of how he’s practicing and how he’s approaching this year. That feeds on the rest of the guys in that room.”

To Hodge, it’s not hard to lead the group when he feels the buy-in on a singular goal.

“We all want the same thing — that Big 12 championship, the playoffs,” Hodge said. “We’re all trying to reach the same goal and I feel like we’re more of a team this year. We’re a brotherhood. All of the position groups, I feel, are really tight and that’s what will get us to where we want to be.”

Hodge’s last ride begins at 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN) at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech.

“Just getting chills (thinking about it),” Hodge said. “Ready to step on that field surrounded by 60,000 fans and all that noise. Just being able to make an impact on that field and show everybody that just because Travis (Hunter) and Shedeur (Sanders) are not here anymore that we can still take it to the top. The sky is the limit for this team.”