Indiana improbably soared to the mountaintop of college football in 2025, winning the national championship and instantly transforming the program’s reputation in a single season.
But the Hoosiers are about to undergo some significant changes on the heels of its first-ever national title.
For the third straight year, Indiana will have a different starting quarterback, as reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza on Friday declared for the NFL draft, while Mendoza’s brother Alberto also departed the program for Georgia Tech and a better chance at a starting job via the transfer portal.
So, where does that leave the Hoosiers’ QB room in 2026?
Indiana quarterback depth chart
| String | Name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Josh Hoover | Redshirt senior |
| 2nd | Grant Wilson | Senior |
| 3rd | Jacob Bell | Sophomore |
Josh Hoover, TCU transfer
For the third straight season, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s starting QB is expected to come from the transfer portal, as Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke was under center in 2024 and Mendoza, an import from Cal, led the Hoosiers this past season.
Now Hoover, one of the best available portal signal-callers who came over from TCU, will likely start under center for the defending champions in 2026.
Hoover, a redshirt senior, started 31 consecutive games for the Horned Frogs from 2023 to ’25, developing into a skilled and accurate downfield passer. Hoover’s aggressive style lent itself to productivity—a school-record 3,949 passing yards in ‘24 and 25-plus touchdown passes each the last two years—but also trouble, with 26 combined interceptions in ‘24 and ’25.
Hoover should thrive in Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s system, which helped both Rourke and Mendoza rank inside the top-five in the country in yards per passing attempt.
Grant Wilson, returning Indiana senior
Cignetti on Jan. 17 told reporters that Wilson, the Hoosiers’ third-string QB in 2025, will be coming back in ‘26. Wilson will be a seventh-year senior, via a medical hardship waiver stemming from nine missed games in 2024 at Old Dominion, adding some much-needed experience to the Indiana QB room.
He started 14 games for the Monarchs between 2023 and ‘24, throwing for 2,149 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his lone full season as a starter in 2023.
Jacob Bell, returning Indiana redshirt freshman
Bell committed to the Hoosiers in December 2024. A three-star prospect, Bell set the Naperville North High School single-season record for passing yards (3,082) and passing touchdowns (38) as a senior. He has yet to see game action as he enters his second year with Indiana.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Indiana Football QB Depth Chart: Who Will Replace Fernando Mendoza?.
