Indiana didn’t waste much time identifying a successor to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.TCU transfer Josh Hoover visited campus on Jan. 3, the day after the portal opened, and committed on Jan. 4. Ruthless efficiency from the defending national champions.What kind of quarterback is Hoover, and what should we expect from him this season? Here’s what you need to know about the next QB1 in Bloomington.He’s productive and experiencedNo active FBS quarterback has thrown for more yards in the last three years than Hoover (9,627), and his 275.1 passing yards per game in that span are tops among active multi-year starters. He’s one of only five active FBS quarterbacks with more than 9,000 total yards in the last three years, along with Jaylen Raynor (Iowa State), Rocco Becht (Penn State), Byrum Brown (Auburn) and Noah Fifita (Arizona).Hoover started half of the 2023 season — Chandler Morris began that year as TCU’s starter — but was the Horned Frogs’ undisputed QB1 in 2024 and 2025, surpassing 3,400 passing yards and 25 touchdowns each year. He has started 31 career FBS games and is one of only six active quarterbacks to reach that threshold in the last three seasons, joining Becht (37), Raynor (36), Fifita (34), Texas Tech’s Tommy Castellanos (31) and Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea (30).TCU went 9-4 in each of Hoover’s two full seasons as the starter.Three storylines to watch: Indiana, Arch and KiffinStewart MandelOpponents think highly of himWhen discussing Hoover with coaches, general managers and personnel staffers around the country for The Athletic’s College QB Tiers this summer, most people gave Hoover high marks. They spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could offer their honest opinions on a player on an opposing team.“He’s super talented,” a Big 12 head coach said. “Legit arm talent.”Said a Big 12 offensive coordinator: “He is a really smooth passer.”A Power 4 personnel staffer called him “tough” and “a gamer.”Multiple coaches said they thought that Indiana’s RPO-heavy offense may fit Hoover better than TCU’s veer-and-shoot scheme, which features wide splits with receivers and a heavy dose of vertical choice routes. Hoover has sufficient arm strength to get the ball to receivers quickly over the middle of the field or to the boundary on the short side of the field. When Hoover is on time and has his feet set, he throws with good velocity and anticipation.But when throwing to the opposite side of the field — a difficult throw for any quarterback but one that TCU did quite a bit with its wide splits — Hoover’s throws weren’t quite as crisp.