Fernando Mendoza had the greatest single-season performance of any Indiana Football player in history. He won the Heisman Trophy while leading Indiana to its program’s first national title. Indiana will be without Mendoza this season as he was the school’s second number one overall NFL Draft pick in school history.
Indiana has had consistently good quarterback play during the Curt Cignetti era. Kurtis Roarke was a breath of fresh air for Indiana fans, who now is completely overshadowed by Fernando Mendoza.
It is an impossible expectation to say that Indiana’s quarterbacks need to be Heisman-caliber once again this season, but head coach Curt Cignetti brought in the guy he wanted: Josh Hoover, the transfer quarterback from TCU.
Indiana also has a handful of quality backup quarterback options on the roster, filling in for the void that Fernando’s younger brother, Alberto Mendoza, had left. They have a mixture of experience with Grant Wilson and talent with Tyler Cherry.
The Starter
Josh Hoover – Fifth year/ TCU
Josh Hoover is Curt Cignetti’s third straight transfer quarterback. He was ranked as the fifth transfer quarterback in the 2026 class per 247 Sports. Hoover presents himself as the next big-time Indiana quarterback.
When you look at Hoover’s tenure at TCU, you see a mixed bag of both good and sloppy quarterback play. He has elite arm talent, and it shows with 9,629 career passing yards and 71 touchdowns. His main problem is his interception rate. In his second year, he had nine; in his third year, he had 11; and in his fourth year, he had 13 picks. This number needs to go down.
How will Hoover improve this season? He will have a running game and a defense. TCU had an air raid offense, which is great for Hoover to get experience, but it doesn’t lead to actual success. He will have a more balanced approach this season. The weight will no longer be on his shoulders.
Hoover will have an RPO-style offense that fits with his style, while also having elite weapons on the outside with Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. It would be shocking if Hoover isn’t good, but it is unfair to compare him to Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza rose up in clutch moments, so the only doubt for Hoover would be if he is ready to rise up in the clutch.
Second-String Competition
Grant Wilson – Fifth year/ Arlington, Virginia
Grant Wilson will likely be Indiana’s backup quarterback. He provides a ton of collegiate experience to the group, which is why Cignetti would trust him. His only problem is that he has been plagued with injuries as of late.
His last season ended after just two games, leading to Alberto Mendoza being the backup for the season. The year before that, he missed nine games for Old Dominion. His biggest upcoming challenge will be to just stay healthy.
Wilson is in his sixth year of college due to these injuries, and so he has really developed as a quarterback. His best season was in 2023, when he had 2100 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had eight picks and three in three games the year after. Just like Hoover, he needs to bring this number down. He is also a dual threat, having 220 yards in his 2023 season at ODU. Expect to see Wilson play a lot in Indiana’s non-conference games.
Tyler Cherry – Second year/ Center Grove, Indiana
Tyler Cherry is Indiana’s key to how the roster will be constructed for 2027. The biggest question is whether he will have enough experience to be a serious contender to compete for the starting job next season. He is a sophomore from Center Grove, Indiana, who has a huge arm. He was a four-star recruit and the sixth-best player in Indiana. He has been a player that Hoosier fans are really excited to see, especially after seeing the highlights of his arm.
Last year, he didn’t make any appearances due to injury, but he made his collegiate debut in 2024, though he only handed the ball off. This season, he will likely record his first stat, especially since the fans want to see him throw it.
The development of Cherry is crucial to whether Indiana needs to look for a new quarterback in the portal once again. It wouldn’t be shocking if Cherry hit the portal if Indiana brought a new player in. Cherry has a lot of untapped potential, but just needs to see it play out on the field. Cherry will likely be the third-string QB, but he still has a chance at the backup position.
Depth Pieces
Jacob Bell – Second year/ Naperville, Illinois
Jacob Bell was a three-star QB recruit who is entering his second season for the team. He didn’t see any action last year, and it is unlikely for him to play this season as well. He was the 86th QB in his class and the 42nd player out of Indiana, providing Indiana with a nice depth piece for the locker room.
Cignetti has mentioned a number of times that Bell has a “gun” when referring to his arm strength.
In his final prep season, he threw for over 3000 yards and 38 touchdowns, impressing Indiana along the way. He earned All-State honors for his senior season and set his program record in passing yards. Originally, Bell had committed to Ball State, but when IU offered, he flipped immediately.
Maverick Geske – Second year/ Indianapolis, Indiana
Maverick Geske is a hometown kid who played for Brebeuf Jesuit High School. He is 6’0″, 187 pounds, and a bit undersized for a collegiate quarterback. But most of all, he joined the program as a walk-on. Walk-ons are vital to every program as great locker room guys, great practice guys, and overall just good depth pieces to have.
He has the Brebuef career passing yards record of an outstanding 8,094 yards. He also had 104 touchdowns. He was simply everywhere for Brebuef. As a two-star prospect, he was underrecruited and decided to walk on at Indiana. If he plays at all, it will be an amazing underdog story.
Final Assessment
Indiana has a quality room at the top. Hoover is a legit QB with Heisman potential. Cherry and Wilson are both elite backups, and the depth pieces are great players to have for the room.
Indiana has to replace the impossible, but just might’ve found the guy to do it. Mendoza had interception issues at Cal, and now Cignetti has to fix Hoover’s interception issues. Who is to say that he cannot do it once again?
Indiana will have consistently good play at this position, but the only worries that might come up are what they will do when the QB needs to step up in a big moment. Will Hoover be able to deliver drives like the Penn State drive or the diving touchdown against Miami? These are the only questions that Hoosier fans should have, because other than that, Hoover can do it all.
Other Position Previews
Offensive Linemen
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