After winning the national championship, Curt Cignetti did not have much time to waste. He had to find a replacement for Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana head coach got his QB from the portal in TCU transfer Josh Hoover. Now, after seeing Hoover’s talent firsthand, Cignetti believes he has found the man who can become Indiana’s next Fernando Mendoza.
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While having a conversation with Rick Neuheisel of CBS Sports, Cignetti was asked what he saw in Josh Hoover that reminded him so much of Fernando Mendoza that he had to bring him in under their banner. The head coach’s answer was simple: Hoover’s a natural.
“He’s a natural ball thrower. Good accuracy. He’s smart. He processes quickly. He’s got things he’s got to clean up a little bit and improve on. He’s sort of followed the same path as the other quarterbacks in the spring,” said Cignetti.
Anyone who follows West Coast football knows that Mendoza was a talented player before he joined Indiana. Still, his success was also a product of the environment Cignetti built around him. The Cal transfer had to fine tune a few things to take his game to the next level, and Cignetti made sure to give him everything he never got at Berkeley as a Golden Bear.
After Mendoza, Cignetti is looking to apply the same formula with Josh Hoover. The Hoosiers have taken him out of a struggling program like TCU and placed him at IU, where he is surrounded by better coaching and more talent. The head coach expects that, just as Mendoza transformed into a star, Hoover will do the same.
“Some good, some bad. He’s had a great summer, and, second time around in August camp, all these guys have been different, and then build on early-season success, and that’s what I’m looking for,” said Cignetti.
Hoover spent most of his time at TCU waiting for his opportunity, and when it arrived, he developed into one of college football’s most seasoned and productive passers. He closed his Horned Frogs career with 9,629 passing yards and 71 touchdowns in 31 starts.
During his final year with TCU, he produced 3,472 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, helping his team finish 8-4 before an overtime Alamo Bowl win over USC.
“Josh has taken a huge step from the spring to the summer just like some of the quarterbacks before him,” Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan said in an interview with the Big Ten Network. “He’s getting better with every rep.”
Athletically speaking, Josh Hoover has all the tools to match Fernando Mendoza; however, the real difference comes under pressure. The former Indiana quarterback remained calm and delivered when it mattered most, especially in hard-fought games. He recovered from his mistakes and delivered in decisive moments throughout his college career. Hoover must prove that he has the same mental toughness in tough battles.
While speaking with ESPN’s Rece Davis, Curt Cignetti emphasized that he already knows what Indiana needs to do with a player like Josh Hoover.
“We’re probably going to run the ball more than Josh has in the past,” Cignetti said. “He did a lot of RPOs, which we do a lot of RPOs, and that was great; I was really glad to see that when I watched him.”