Can TCU’s Former QB Lead Indiana Football to Another Championship in 2027?
After what many described as a storybook season for Indiana last season, there are no signs of this program slowing down. What turned out to be one of the greatest runs in college football history may not have been enough to satisfy head coach Curt Cignetti, who went all in with this year's transfer portal, which included six four-stars. One of those four stars the Hoosiers picked up is the man who will be replacing Fernando Mendoza under center, Josh Hoover, who had a solid junior year with TCU, where the 2026 early Heisman favorite threw for 29 touchdowns and nearly 3,500 passing yards. Watching him play, it almost feels like he fits the Cignetti offense and appears to be a more mobile Mendoza. It’s clear that Coach Cig and the recruiting staff at IU had their eye on him and are confident in their decision to let the former TCU quarterback grow into a star.
On the flip side, something every Hoosier fan doesn’t want to hear is that Hoover led the Big 12 in interceptions last year with 13, and the year before finished with 11. TCU ran a pass-heavy offense last year, averaging about 34 attempts per game, but turnovers are what kill teams. Cignetti is well aware of this and has most likely already given the new QB an earful about protecting the ball, something Mendoza was so good at. Luckily for the former TCU quarterback, the Hoosiers are getting former QB coach Tino Sunseri back, who was pivotal in Cignetti’s first year, helping develop Kurtis Rourke into an outstanding passer, and after one year at UCLA, has come back to Bloomington to do the same with Hoover.
Along with the return of the beloved QB coach Sunseri, Indiana made sure their new QB has the weapons he needs to succeed. One of these targets is also a newcomer, hailing from Michigan State, where he finished last season with 59 receptions and six touchdowns- wide receiver Nick Marsh. As soon as the 19-year-old receiver announced he was entering the transfer portal, he became one of the top players teams were going to target, and sure enough, the rich got richer. Indiana knew teams were going to throw everything they had at Marsh, which they didn’t really need to since an undefeated season seemed like enough to convince a four-star athlete to join. Along with the 19-year-old, IU is retaining wide receivers Charlie Becker and Lebron Bond, who know the playbook and are looking to go back-to-back. Another solid transfer pickup was running back Turbo Richard out of Boston College, who will be looking to take some relief off of Hoover this season.
