Following in the footsteps of Fernando Mendoza is a nearly impossible task for the vast majority of quarterbacks out there. Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to the best season the program has ever seen, which culminated in a perfect 16-0 record and historic National Championship this past season.
Mendoza's remarkable season of throwing for 3,535 yards and accounting to 48 total touchdowns has his legacy firmly cemented in Bloomington. Furthermore, he completed the quarterback trifecta of winning a National Championship, winning the Heisman Trophy, and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft all in the same year.
Given the prestigious performance from Mendoza this past season, whoever took over in his footsteps would have a lot to live up to. When perusing the transfer portal, Curt Cignetti had one guy in mind to follow Mendoza - and he got him.
Cignetti quickly landed TCU gunslinger Josh Hoover in January, and the Hoosier head coach is now peeling back the curtain on what he saw in Hoover that made him IU's top portal target.
Josh Hoover's experience is exactly what Curt Cignetti was looking for
Finding experienced QBs in the portal has been a common theme for Cignetti, who brought in Kurtis Rourke from Ohio during his first season in Bloomington and, of course, Mendoza from Cal this past season.
After spending four seasons in Fort Worth with the Horned Frogs, Hoover comes to Bloomington with 9,629 yards and 79 total touchdowns to his name in his collegiate career. That gives him the most production out of any returning QB in the country heading into 2026.
In an interview with Josh Pate, Cignetti stated that Hoover's experience was a main draw when looking for a QB in the portal.
"I saw a guy that had played quarterback and started 30+ games, threw for a lot of yards and a lot of touchdown passes, won a lot of games, knew how to play quarterback, and had a skill set I could develop," said Cignetti.
Josh Hoover embraces the challenge of following in Fernando Mendoza's footsteps
While Hoover's experience certainly factored into Cignetti's decision, it's his mentality that really stood out.
"When we talked, I liked what I heard from him," Cignetti said. "He embraced the challenge of stepping in for Fernando, who had won the Heisman."
There are a lot of quarterbacks out there who might have shied away from following Mendoza's historic season in Bloomington. But not Hoover. The 6'2" 200-pound quarterback is embracing the challenge - as well as the opportunity.
Hoover is already garnering plenty of attention so far this offseason. As the headliner of Indiana's transfer portal class, Hoover figures to be worth every penny of NIL money spent on him this offseason. Entering his final collegiate season, he is ranked as the No. 22 overall player and No. 6 quarterback in the portal in On3's list of College Football's Top Transfer Portal Players.
Hoover is familiar with the scheme Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan want to operate, and while Cignetti says he still has a long way to go before fall camp, the Hoover hype is very real in Bloomington. Hoosier football fans are eager to see what he can do.
Add us as a preferred source on Google