4,000-Yard QB Viewed as Budding Superstar in College Football

The 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle brought dozens of new faces to each college football program in January.

Some programs had to bring in anywhere from 30 to 50 different transfers to replenish lost roster pieces as a result of head coaching changes. Other programs took a more selective approach with the portal, opting to bring in 15 to 20 players to replace graduating players or upgrade from some of the players they relied upon in 2025.

One of these more selective programs was Indiana, which brought in 17 transfers to reload after its run to a College Football Playoff National Championship victory.

One of the key positions the Hoosiers looked to the portal for was quarterback, looking for a replacement for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Indiana identified four-star transfer Josh Hoover as the most qualified replacement for Mendoza.

Hoover's proven track record in his previous stop at TCU is an exciting prospect for a program with hopes of repeating as a national champion. Hoover's name was the first on Chris Hummer of CBS Sports' list of the 13 budding superstars that college football insiders predict to dominate the headlines in 2026.

"At 6-feet-2 and 200 pounds, Hoover doesn't have Mendoza's prototypical physical tools. He does, however, have above-average accuracy and should be an excellent fit in Curt Cignetti's RPO-heavy scheme," Hummer wrote.

"Don't be shocked if he's in the Heisman mix at the midway point of next season. He's always had the ability. Within a different offensive system, Hoover can emerge as one of the nation's top passers."

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) runs with the ball during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Bearcats | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Why Hoover has a proven track record

Hoover committed to TCU as a three-star recruit and top 50 quarterback prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Hoover utilized his redshirt as Max Duggan and Chandler Morris were ahead of him during the Horned Frogs' run to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

TCU tabbed Morris as its starter entering the 2023 season, but a knee injury to Morris halfway through the year forced the Horned Frogs to turn to Hoover. He finished the season with 2,206 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Hoover's production took a big step forward in 2024. He passed for 3,949 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while guiding TCU to a 9-4 overall record. The Big 12 coaches nominated Hoover as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2024.

In 2025, Hoover threw for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, leading the Horned Frogs to an 8-4 mark and entering the transfer portal prior to the bowl game. Only Trevone Boykin and Andy Dalton have thrown for more yards than Hoover in TCU football history.