Indiana is asking Josh Hoover to step into a big spotlight, and the move makes sense for a program that has already seen what a transfer quarterback can do. Curt Cignetti is turning to Hoover after Fernando Mendoza’s run in Bloomington, hoping the next portal pickup can keep the Hoosiers rolling.
Hoover arrives from TCU with a real résumé and plenty of experience. He spent three seasons with the Horned Frogs after a winding recruiting path that once included Indiana. Back in 2021, when Tom Allen was still running the program, Hoover committed to the Hoosiers before ultimately signing with TCU.
His background starts in Rockwall, Texas, just outside Dallas, where he put together a massive high school career. Over three seasons tracked by MaxPreps, he threw for 9,750 yards, 108 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. The recruiting industry viewed him as a three-star quarterback and the No. 41 overall signal-caller in the 2022 class, with offers from Arkansas, TCU, Houston, SMU, UTSA, Tulane and others.
At TCU, Hoover redshirted in 2022, then started to carve out a bigger role in 2023. As a redshirt freshman, he played in 10 games and made six starts.
He opened that season behind Chandler Morris, but Morris’ re-injured MCL opened the door, and Hoover finished the year as the starter over the final six games. In those 10 appearances, he threw for 2,237 yards, 15 touchdowns and only one interception.
The production climbed once Morris transferred to North Texas before the 2024 season. Hoover took over the job and delivered a major statistical season, piling up 3,949 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
TCU went 9-4 and closed the year with a New Mexico Bowl win over Louisiana. He reportedly drew a lucrative offer from Tennessee for 2025, but stayed put in Fort Worth.
Last season, Hoover kept putting up numbers, finishing with 3,472 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for the Horned Frogs.
Indiana moved quickly once Hoover entered the transfer portal on Dec. 18. He landed with the Hoosiers on Jan. 4 and carried an NIL Valuation of $4 million, per On3Sports.
There’s an obvious comparison hanging over the move because Mendoza’s transfer success at Indiana set the standard. Cignetti said last month that the temptation to line the two up is understandable, but he pushed back on the idea that Mendoza arrived as a finished product.
“I think what you gotta do is if you wanna make a comparison, you gotta kinda look at where we were last year at this time,” Cignetti said on Aug. 30 via the Indy Star. “We walked off the field the second scrimmage and really weren't good at all throwing the football. And we weren't feeling very good about things.”
Hoover also has a connection to the Mendoza family through Indiana’s recent quarterback shuffle. Fernando Mendoza’s younger brother, Alberto, was on the Hoosiers last season, but after Hoover transferred to Bloomington, Alberto entered the portal and signed with Georgia Tech. He has since been named the Yellow Jackets’ 2026 starter.
If Indiana is looking for the one area Hoover needs to clean up, it’s ball security. Across his three seasons, he has thrown 33 interceptions, and he has also lost nine of 14 fumbles.
Josh Hoover stats
Season Team G Comp% Yards INT
2022 TCU 1 100 2 0
2023 TCU 10 62.1 2,206 9
2024 TCU 13 66.5 3,949 11
2025 TCU 12 65.9 3,472 13
In Other News...
Big 12 Just Closed A Roster Loophole TCU Could Not Ignore
The Big 12 has moved to shut down a roster path that college programs have quietly had to factor into planning, adopting a rule that bars athletes who have signed professional contracts or been on professional rosters from competing in any conference-sponsored sport. For TCU and the rest of the league, the change brings the conference in line with a broader push among major conferences to draw a firmer boundary between college and pro athletics, even as that line has become harder to define.
The timing matters because the eligibility and roster questions around former professionals have not gone away, and the legal fight over who gets to compete is still unfolding. The SEC has already filed a federal lawsuit against LSU over the issue, which only adds another layer of uncertainty for schools trying to manage rosters in an era when the rules are changing almost as fast as the market for talent. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces New Accountability Questions Ahead Of The Home Opener
TCU Athletics has restored media credentials to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after a brief suspension tied to the papers reporting on the locker room assault involving senior safety Jacob Fields. The move comes as the Horned Frogs head toward their home opener, with the program still dealing with the fallout from a case that has already led to Fields dismissal from the football team for a team-rules violation connected to the incident.
Fields later turned himself in to authorities and was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, leaving the university to answer not only for the incident itself but for how it responded once the story became public. Restoring access may close one chapter of the dispute with the newspaper, but it leaves TCU facing fresh questions about transparency and accountability as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Is Betting On Jaden Craig After A Shaky Debut
TCU is turning the page quickly after its 15-10 loss to North Carolina, and the focus now is on helping senior quarterback Jaden Craig settle in after a difficult debut. Craig did not have the kind of opening game anyone around the program wanted, but head coach Sonny Dykes and his teammates have kept the tone steady, pointing to Craigs preparation and the belief that the offense will look more comfortable as he gets more time in the system.
The next chance comes against Grambling State, where TCU will be looking for cleaner execution and a better rhythm from the passing game. Craigs first start showed how much adjustment still remains, but the Frogs are clearly invested in giving him room to grow, and this week is less about overreacting to one rough night than about seeing how quickly he can respond. [Read more 🡒]