Josh Hoover has a nearly impossible task on his hands.
The TCU transfer QB has to follow in the footsteps of Fernando Mendoza, who led the Indiana football program to the best season it has ever seen. Mendoza's Heisman Trophy-winning campaign saw him throw for 3,535 yards and account for 48 total touchdowns. His efforts led the Hoosiers to an undefeated 16-0 season that resulted in a historic National Championship.
Mendoza entered the 2025 season not expected to be a high draft pick in the NFL Draft, but that changed dramatically. Mendoza's sensational season led to him becoming the No. 1 overall selection in April's 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Following that act is not going to be easy, but Hoover is set up for success. Expecting him to become a No. 1 overall pick seems a bit unrealistic at this point in time, but Hoover has a chance to be among the biggest risers when it comes to 2027 NFL Draft boards.
Josh Hoover can raise his NFL Draft stock in a big way this season
As it stands, most early 2027 NFL Draft projections have Hoover slated as a Day 2 pick. The upcoming class of quarterbacks is relatively deep, with guys like Dante Moore, Arch Manning, Jayden Maiava, Trinidad Chambliss, CJ Carr, LaNorris Sellers, and Julian Sayin, among others, all featured as big names to follow.
Hoover heads to Bloomington with high expectations, but his well-rounded college football experience up to this point should serve him well in 2026. The 6'2" 200-pound gunslinger has racked up 9,629 yards and 79 total touchdowns in his collegiate career, giving him the most production out of any returning QB in the country heading into 2026. He's thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, and has seen a little bit of everything over the course of his four seasons with the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth.
But what really gives him the potential to move up NFL Draft boards is his familiarity with the RPO-heavy system that Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan want to run. Last season, Mendoza threw more RPOs than anybody in all of college football. The second name on that list was Hoover's.
As ESPN's Jordan Reid explains, Hoover's mix of experience, RPO-familiarity, and throwing mechanics could push the Indiana QB up in the draft boards.
"[Hoover] arrives fresh off back-to-back seasons of 3,000-plus passing yards and slots well into the Hoosiers' quick-operating, RPO-centric offense with his fiery, over-the-top throwing release. With excellent skill players surrounding him and a proven system that finds leaks in defenses, Hoover could vault up draft boards like Mendoza did."Jordan Reid
Again, a drastic move up to the No. 1 overall pick like Mendoza seems far-fetched for Hoover. But there's no denying that Hoover is set up for success in Bloomington.
Right now, Hoover is considered an under-the-radar prospect when it comes to NFL Draft boards. But he has what it takes to shine in Bloomington, and in turn, raise his draft stock in the process.
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