Replacing Fernando Mendoza is a nearly impossible task, but Curt Cignetti is confident that he found the ideal QB to follow Mendoza's Heisman Trophy-winning season in Bloomington. Cignetti made TCU gunslinger Josh Hoover a priority in the transfer portal, and he ultimately got his wish as Hoover committed to the Hoosiers on January 4.
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes appears to be a bit salty about Hoover leaving. In an interview with Frogs Today last week, Dykes took a shot at his former QB, and specifically targeted his turnovers.
"Stats are stats, and I think Josh started 31 games here as a quarterback and he turned the ball over 42 times in those 31 starts," Dykes said.
Those numbers don't tell the whole story though, as Hoover was essentially asked to carry the Horned Frog offense throughout his time in Forth Worth. This past season, TCU ranked 72nd in total defense and 100th in rushing offense. The lack of complimentary football put a lot on Hoover's shoulders, and Cignetti has his new QBs back as he prepares for the 2026 season.
Curt Cignetti fires back at Sonny Dykes in defense of Josh Hoover
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Cignetti had Hoover's back in a big way.
"When Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: Great defense and a really good run game," Cignetti said. "And he was never the same after that."
Indiana QB Josh Hoover caught some flack from TCU coach Sonny Dykes for his turnovers.
— Jared Kelly (@Jared_Kelly7) April 2, 2026
Curt Cignetti had Hoover's back this afternoon:
"When Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: Great defense and a really good run game.
"And he was never the same after that." #iufb pic.twitter.com/ERgpPUkKJ7
Indiana plays a great style of complimentary football, which figures to make Hoover a perfect fit for leading the Hoosier offense. Cignetti isn't blind to Hoover's turnover numbers at TCU, but it's clear that he has plenty of confidence in his ability to thrive with the Hoosiers.
In 2024, Hoover attempted a whopping 471 pass attempts through 13 games, which equated to 36.2 pass attempts per game. Last season, he attempted 413 passes in 12 games, which was good for an average of 34.4 attempts per game. In comparison, Mendoza attempted 379 passes in 16 games last season, which evened out to just 23.7 attempts per game. Playing in a more complimentary system, Hoover has plenty of potential to deliver in a big way next season.
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Mendoza thrived leading a well-balanced offense that wasn't too one dimensional. Indiana's strong defense set the IU offense up with great field position throughout the season, and the reliable IU rushing attack let Mendoza pick his spots to exploit the opposing defense. It resulted in Mendoza being extremely efficient by completing 72% of his passes while throwing 41 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions.
In his career, Hoover has thrown for 9,629 yards and amassed 79 total touchdowns, giving him the most production out of any returning QB in the country heading into 2026.
If Indiana is able to maintain that balance and not ask Hoover to throw 35+ times a game, he figures to have a more efficient season that results in less turnovers.