Indiana football will open the 2026 season with its third different starting quarterback in as many seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti.
Kurtis Rourke ran out of eligibility following the Hoosiers’ breakout 2024 season and entered the NFL Draft, ultimately being selected by the San Francisco 49ers. His replacement, Fernando Mendoza, went on to win the Heisman Trophy while leading Indiana to a 16-0 national championship finish. Now the program turns to former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to lead the way.
Joel Klatt, a college football analyst with Fox Sports, is especially high on Hoover ahead of the season.
“He’s the perfect candidate to replace Mendoza,” Klatt said on his college football podcast. “Almost a clone of Mendoza.”
Klatt cites Indiana’s usage of RPO’s with Mendoza, who ran more RPO plays than any other quarterback in college football in 2025, as his reasoning. Right behind him was Hoover at TCU. Klatt also touched on the words traded between TCU head coach Sonny Dykes and Cignetti weeks ago, with Dykes mentioning Hoover’s turnover issues during a podcast appearance. Cignetti responded by saying the quarterback would be working with a productive running game and strong defense, limiting the work he’d have to do.
Klatt made note of Indiana’s other transfer portal additions like former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, Wisconsin guard Joe Brunner, Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi and Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris among the Hoosiers’ returners like wide receiver Charlie Becker and left tackle Carter Smith.
“I don’t think that Indiana is going anywhere,” Klatt said. “That’s going to be a really tough team to beat.”
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