Indiana will have a new quarterback when the college football season kicks off in 2026 with Fernando Mendoza expected to enter the 2026 NFL draft. The good news for the Hoosiers is that the Indiana offense appears to be in good hands.
Indiana already landed one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal. A former Big 12 quarterback is the heavy favorite to replace Mendoza as the new Indiana QB1 in 2026.
Back on January 4, news broke that former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover had committed to Indiana. Hoover threw for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 65.9% of his passes in 2025.
While the terms of Hoover’s NIL deal were not officially disclosed, Indiana likely paid a premium to find a suitable replacement for Mendoza. Hoover’s projected NIL value is $2.1 million, per On3. Pete Nakos of On3 previously reported that Hoover could ultimately land a deal for as much as $5 million range.
“Carson Beck made roughly $3 to $3.2 million to start this season for Miami,” Nakos wrote in a December 25, 2025, story titled, “How much impact players out of the 2025 transfer portal will cost your team.”
“Now the quarterback market is flooded with high-end talent, including Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby and TCU’s Josh Hoover, among others. Sources have said those deals could touch $4 to $5 million.”
Here’s what you need to know about the future of Indiana football.
Indiana Is Becoming QBU Thanks to the College Football Transfer Portal
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is building quite a reputation for elevating quarterbacks. Prior to prying Mendoza away from Cal, Indiana also had Kurtis Rourke who was a standout quarterback for the Hoosiers.
Cignetti has been active in the transfer portal landing the No. 2 class behind Texas Tech, per On3’s rankings.
“Well, it is a little bit like free agency now,” Cignetti said of the transfer portal during a January 17, media session. “I’m not going to go too far down that road. But the quarterback position is the key position. It’s hard to win Miami’s quarterback (Carson Beck) has done a great job. Fernando has done a great job. Last year, we had Ohio State and who, Notre Dame? Two really good quarterbacks.
“That is a position, however, where the guys that play quarterback, they don’t like to sit. Like if they know they’ve got the right stuff, they want to play.”
Indiana Is Expected to Lose QB Fernando Mendoza & His Brother Alberto Mendoza
The Hoosiers are preparing to lose multiple quarterbacks this offseason. While Mendoza has not made an official announcement, the widespread expectation is that the quarterback will enter the NFL draft.
Additionally, Mendoza’s brother Alberto Mendoza, who served as Indiana’s backup quarterback is entering the transfer portal. Georgia Tech and Duke have already emerged as landing spots for the younger Mendoza.
“In addition to Georgia Tech, Duke is among the other teams that could end up being in the mix with Indiana QB transfer Alberto Mendoza, sources tell @CBSSports,” CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz detailed in a January 20, message on X. “Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, was IU’s backup QB this year.”
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