IU football 2026 preseason position previews: Quarterbacks

IU football quarterback Josh Hoover.

Welcome to “IU football 2026 preseason position previews,” a series that will break down the depth chart and production potential of Indiana’s roster ahead of the 2026 season.

Final group: Quarterbacks

Previously: Specialists, Cornerbacks, Safeties, Linebackers, Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, Offensive Tackles, Interior Offensive Linemen, Tight Ends, Running Backs, Wide Receivers

Personnel

Returners: Grant Wilson, Tyler Cherry, Maverick Geske, Jacob Bell

Departures via transfer portal: Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech)

Departures via graduation/NFL Draft/Out of eligibility: Fernando Mendoza

Arrivals via transfer portal: Josh Hoover (TCU)

Incoming freshmen: None

What is different in 2026?

Indiana requires a reset at the most important position.

With the Mendoza brothers, Fernando and Alberto, out the door, the Hoosiers need a new starter and a new backup.

Fernando was about as perfect as can be for the Hoosiers in 2025. He won every game he played, the Heisman Trophy and just about every other individual award he was eligible for.

He left Indiana with one of the greatest legacies by a Hoosier athlete of all time. He did it in one year. Now, as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, he looks to build a successful career in Las Vegas with the Raiders.

Alberto was Fernando’s backup and delivered in the few situations that he needed to. He was not in line to be the starter at Indiana in 2026, so he decided to get a fresh start at Georgia Tech. He is the likely starter with the Yellow Jackets.

The quarterback room will look different at the top. In true Cignetti fashion, production and experience were the top qualifications of the replacements.

The starter

Josh Hoover (Redshirt senior, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds)

It is impossible to replace what Fernando Mendoza did for Indiana. He led Indiana to a perfect season, summoning belief from a fanbase that rarely did. He helped Indiana make the jump.

That is not Hoover’s job in 2026. His job is to sustain it.

Hoover arrives with a body of work at TCU that is larger than most quarterbacks nationally. Across four years, Hoover threw for 9629 yards and 71 touchdowns on 65.2 percent completions with over 1100 passing attempts.

In each of the last two seasons, he has thrown for over 3,400 yards and 27 touchdowns with a completion percentage over 65. There are issues to consider. Hoover has thrown nine, 11 and 13 interceptions across the last three seasons and has taken over 16 sacks in each of the last two.

Choosing to come to Indiana should give Hoover access to luxuries he did not have at TCU. He will have an elite defense. He will have a strong running game. He will have an exceptional wide receiver room. He will have a system and an offense that fit perfectly with the RPO-heavy style he played in at TCU.

He does not need to be Superman and do everything himself. Much like Mendoza, if Hoover can play team football, make the right plays and be a leader, he will be everything Indiana needs.

The depth

Grant Wilson (Graduate senior +, 6-foot-3, 218 pounds)

In his seventh year of college football and second with the Hoosiers, Wilson has the knowledge and experience to be what Indiana needs at backup quarterback.

Wilson began his career at Fordham, where he only made seven appearances in three seasons. He then made 14 starts in 15 appearances at Old Dominion before transferring to Indiana ahead of the 2025 season.

He has thrown for 2,754 yards and 23 touchdowns with 11 interceptions with a 57.5 percent completion percentage.

Tyler Cherry (Redshirt freshman, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds)

Cherry was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class out of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana. He played in one game in 2024 and led a scoring drive against Western Illinois. In 2025, he missed the entire season due to an ACL injury and was taken off the roster. He served a role on the coaching staff and was around the team the entire season.

Cherry is back and healthy ahead of the 2026 season and has a chance to make a run for the backup quarterback position. It is clear that the staff still believes in him. He just needs the chance to show his skills.

Jacob Bell (Redshirt freshman, 6-foot-2, 208 pounds)

Bell was a three-star recruit in the 2025 class out of Naperville High School in Illinois. He redshirted the 2025 season and did not see action.

Maverick Geske (Redshirt freshman, 6-feet, 187 pounds)

Geske joined the Indiana program as a walk-on after a career at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, culminating in three program records. He has not seen any game action.

Predicted depth chart

• Josh Hoover
• Grant Wilson
• Tyler Cherry
• Jacob Bell
• Maverick Geske

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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