4,000-Yard QB Believed to Have Joined 'Elite Fraternity' in Transfer Portal

A transfer quarterback is believed to be joining an "elite fraternity" of quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 season.

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) runs off the field after throwing for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bearcats | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The final stages of the 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle are a little more than two weeks in the past.

Thousands of players across all levels of college football participated in the shuffling caused by the 2026 cycle. The most noteworthy transfers in the cycle were the multitude of quarterbacks jumping around from one Power Four program to another.

One of these quarterbacks on the move was former TCU starter Josh Hoover, who committed to Indiana. He will have one season of eligibility remaining with the Hoosiers.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was a three-star recruit in the Horned Frogs' 2022 recruiting class. He sat behind Max Duggan in TCU's run to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, only appearing in a blowout victory against Tarleton near the beginning of the season.

Chandler Morris was TCU's starter to open the 2023 season, but a knee injury to Morris gave way for Hoover to start the rest of the season. In eight games, Hoover threw for 2,206 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

2024 was Hoover's first full season as a starter at TCU. He passed for 3,949 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while guiding the Horned Frogs to a 9-4 overall record. He was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Sam Leavitt of Arizona State were the quarterbacks selected to the All-Big 12 teams.

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) throws a pass against Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) | Bryan Terry-Imagn Images

Hoover threw for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his final season as the Horned Frogs' starter, once again guiding them to an eight-win regular season. He entered the NCAA transfer portal prior to TCU's trip to the Alamo Bowl.

In honor of Valentine's Day, Carter Bahns of CBS Sports released a list of 10 things to love about the 2026 college football season. Bahns listed Hoover as the transfer portal fit he is most infatuated with ahead of next season.

"Has any program mastered the art of transfer quarterback evaluations as well as Indiana over the last two cycles? The results suggest the Hoosiers know exactly what they're doing," Bahns wrote.

"Josh Hoover looks to be next in line in a fraternity of elite Indiana signal-callers. As a one-time commit as a high school recruit, Hoover already knows what he is walking into in Bloomington. As a rising star in the Big 12, he brings a high ceiling to the Big Ten."

In each of their first two seasons at Indiana, Curt Cignetti's staff has taken quarterbacks out of the portal and turned them into stars.

Former Ohio starter Kurtis Rourke became a 3,000-yard passer for the Hoosiers in 2024, guiding them to their first-ever College Football Playoff. Most notably, former California starter Fernando Mendoza won a Heisman Trophy en route to Indiana's first-ever football national championship.

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Houston Cougars | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images