2025 IU football position preview: Quarterback

With the 2025 football season kicking off next month, Inside the Hall is providing a position-by-position preview of the roster. Today: Quarterback.

The 2024 season was one of the best for Indiana across all position groups, especially at quarterback.

Last year, Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in program history, breaking program records in passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Additionally, Rourke became the fourth Hoosier quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards, the first since Richard Lagow did so in the 2016 season.

With Rourke’s selection in the sixth round to San Francisco and Tayven Jackson’s transfer to UCF, Curt Cignetti once again spent the winter in the transfer portal in search of a retooling of the quarterback room.

The projected depth chart

Starter: Fernando Mendoza (R-Jr., California)
Backup(s): Grant Wilson (Senior+, Old Dominion), Alberto Mendoza (R-Fr.)
Depth: Jacob Bell (Fr., Naperville, Ill.), Maverick Geske (Fr., Indianapolis)

Starter – Fernando Mendoza

Entering the offseason, it was evident that California’s stand-out quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, was going to be among the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal. Given Indiana’s success with Rourke, coupled with his brother, Alberto, already on the roster, the prospect of Mendoza making his way to Bloomington seemed likely.

Mendoza completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns to only six interceptions last season for the Golden Bears, earning the ACC Quarterback of the Week award three times.

Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan brought the Miami-native in to be the starter. After an impressive spring season, it is clear that Mendoza will be behind center when the Hoosiers take the field against Old Dominion on August 30.

Backups – Grant Wilson, Alberto Mendoza

After redshirt freshman Tyler Cherry suffered a non-contact injury during the prep for the College Football Playoff that will force him to miss the 2025 season, Indiana went into the portal in search of a backup quarterback with experience.

Old Dominion transfer Grant Wilson fits the mold. The sixth-year quarterback has appeared in 22 games, starting 14 over five collegiate seasons. Wilson missed nine games last season due to an injury. Wilson started 11 games in 2023 for the Monarchs, completing 178 passes for 2,149 yards and 17 touchdowns in his lone full season at ODU.

Despite his starting experience, Wilson will likely compete for the backup position with Alberto Mendoza.

Alberto made one appearance last season, making his debut in the fourth quarter of Indiana’s week two beatdown of Western Illinois. The freshman led a pair of drives, completing his lone pass for six yards.

Coming into the spring as the No. 2 on the depth chart, Alberto stood out in Indiana’s spring game in April. The redshirt-freshman completed 10-of-13 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Wilson played just five snaps from scrimmage during the spring game, completing 1-of-4 passes.

As it stands, Alberto is likely to enter fall camp with a slight advantage over Wilson for the backup role.

Depth – Jacob Bell, Maverick Geske

Jacob Bell became the fourth and final scholarship quarterback on the roster when he flipped his commitment from Ball State to Indiana on Christmas Day. The Naperville, Illinois, native was ranked the 61st-best quarterback in the country by ESPN and the 37th-best prospect from Illinois.

A 2024 Indiana Mr. Football finalist, Maverick Geske, rounds out the quarterback room as a walk-on. Geske finished his career at Brebeuf Jesuit by setting career records for yards passing (8,904), total touchdowns (114) and completion percentage (.599).

Outlook

Despite the departure of the top two on the depth chart from last season, Indiana reloaded the quarterback room.

Much like Rourke last season, Indiana will expect Fernando Mendoza to carry the freight in his first season in Bloomington. Barring an injury, it is likely that he will take all of the starters’ snaps during the 2025 season.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

Category: Football

Filed to: