Curt Cignetti isn’t one to dwell on the past. Yes, there’s a national championship trophy sitting in his office - a hard-earned symbol of triumph from just three weeks ago - but he’s already looking past it.
In fact, he wants it out of sight. Not out of disrespect, but because he knows last season’s glory doesn’t win this season’s games.
And this season, he’s got a very real problem: Fernando Mendoza is gone.
Mendoza, the quarterback who led Indiana to a 27-21 win over Miami in January, has transferred out. His departure leaves a gaping hole under center for a program trying to defend a title - and do it with a quarterback who’s never taken a snap in Bloomington.
So now, the challenge for Cignetti is clear: rebuild a quarterback room that lost both its starter and backup in one offseason. Alberto Mendoza, Fernando’s younger brother and last year’s backup, also exited stage left, heading to Georgia Tech. That’s two signal-callers out the door, and a depth chart that suddenly feels paper-thin.
Enter Josh Hoover.
The TCU transfer brings big-time production on paper - 9,629 passing yards and 71 touchdowns over three seasons. But those numbers come with caveats.
Hoover’s also thrown 33 interceptions and has yet to complete more than 66.5% of his passes in a full season. He’s talented, no question.
But consistent? That’s still to be determined.
Ironically, Hoover wasn’t Cignetti’s first choice out of high school. He originally committed to Indiana before flipping to TCU. Now, a few years and a transfer portal later, he’s back - this time with a shot to lead the Hoosiers into a new era.
Behind him, it’s Grant Wilson and Josh Bell. Wilson saw limited action last season as the third-stringer but has starting experience from his time at Old Dominion. Bell, meanwhile, is more of a long-term project - four years of eligibility left, but no college starts to his name.
It’s not just about who’s under center. It’s about how thin things are getting across the board.
For the first time in his career, Cignetti is heading into a season with fewer than four scholarship quarterbacks. Tyler Cherry’s status remains uncertain after missing all of last year, and with most of the top high school quarterbacks already committed for 2026, the options in the portal are drying up fast.
That’s where Cignetti’s coaching philosophy comes into play. He’s long been a believer in quality over quantity when it comes to practice reps.
He runs 13 practices in the spring - two fewer than the NCAA allows - and he’s never maxed out the 25-practice limit in fall camp either. The goal?
Keep his players fresh and healthy. Especially when, as he told Urban Meyer on a recent podcast, “nobody has depth” - a statement that hits a little harder when you’ve just lost your top two quarterbacks.
Despite the uncertainty under center, Indiana still finds itself in promising company. A graphic posted Tuesday by J.D.
PicKell ranked the programs best positioned for success over the next three years. Indiana landed at No. 7, thanks largely to coaching stability and talent trends.
Oregon topped the list, with Ohio State right behind. But even with that recognition, it’s hard to feel completely secure when your quarterback room is in flux.
The countdown is on. Indiana opens the season September 5 against North Texas.
Hoover is expected to start. And with a thinner margin for error than ever, Cignetti’s ability to adapt - and quickly - might be the biggest storyline of the Hoosiers’ title defense.