The line at CVS on North College Avenue stretched through multiple aisles on Saturday afternoon, snaking past the greeting cards and candy displays, more than 500 fans deep. They’d come to meet Josh Hoover, the Texas quarterback who’s supposed to help Indiana follow up a national championship season with another one. And Hoover is not running from those expectations. He’s leaning right into Fernando Mendoza’s legacy.

“Obviously, Fernando’s an unbelievable player, won the Heisman, won all the awards, they had all the team success you can have last year,” Hoover said after more than two hours of signing autographs and posing for pictures. “For me, I’m just gonna be myself. That’s why I’m here—to be myself, put my imprint on the program, and try to encourage guys and bring people along. Be the best player I can be.”

The CVS meet-and-greet offered Hoover his first real introduction to the fervor that carried Indiana into college football immortality last year. Alongside teammates Tyrique Tucker, Khobie Martin, Lee Beebe Jr., and outgoing defensive star Omar Cooper Jr., Hoover spent the afternoon chatting with supporters. 

“It’s been awesome,” Hoover said, his first taste of Bloomington’s football-obsessed culture clearly registering. “I loved being here, doing events like this is always cool. Obviously my first kind of introduction to the fans and people in Bloomington, and pretty overwhelming just the support and how much the fans love football and love this program. Love this city, love the state, and it’s been super cool.”

The interactions themselves told the story of what Indiana expects from Hoover. An older gentleman approached the table, handed over something to sign, and delivered a message. “We are expecting a lot out of you,” he said.

But Hoover didn’t flinch. “Me too,” he replied.

Later, another fan posed the question more directly, asking if Hoover would bring Indiana another national championship. His answer came with a polite smile but unmistakable intent: “Yeah, that’s the plan, man. Get back to it.”

What makes Hoover a credible heir to Fernando Mendoza is his comfort operating in the offensive system that coordinator Mike Shanahan runs, a scheme heavy on run-pass options that Hoover has been executing since high school. 

“It’s something I’ve done for the last eight years of my life,” Hoover explained, his familiarity with RPOs evident in how easily he discusses them. “The offenses I’ve played in have all been heavy RPO offenses, and so I feel like I’ve got a really good feel for that. I’m excited to bring my skillset in that area to this program, this offense.”

As the crowd continued to cycle through CVS on Saturday, the narrative Hoover was building became clearer. He wasn’t trying to be Fernando Mendoza. But he wasn’t shying away from the expectations that come with replacing him, either.

“What Coach Cig has done, the entire staff, the players, the buy-in—I think it’s just a special place to be right now and definitely excited to be here,” Hoover said. His return to Bloomington comes full circle after he’d originally committed to Indiana out of high school before flipping to TCU. 

Spring practice is still weeks away, with new strength coach Tyson Brown onboarding and the team adjusting after its lengthy playoff run. But Hoover’s focus for now is building rapport with his teammates. He has to deepen his grasp of the offense and prepare to lead a program that suddenly expects championship contention as the baseline, not the dream. After Saturday’s reception, it’s clear what Bloomington believes: Josh Hoover is a worthy successor.

Studying the blueprint, writing his Own Script

If there’s any awkwardness in following a Heisman winner who just led your new team to a national championship, Hoover isn’t letting it show. In a January 31 interview with The Hoosiers-On3, he spoke about Mendoza with genuine respect.

“I have a lot of respect for him as a player,” Hoover said. “He seems like a great guy and has done tremendous things this past season and in the future. He’s an unbelievable player, a really talented guy, and it’s been good to watch him on film and learn from somebody like that.”

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It’s the approach of someone who understands that studying greatness doesn’t mean copying it. Hoover’s three seasons at TCU produced 9,629 passing yards, 71 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions with a 65.2% completion rate, numbers that speak for themselves. He broke TCU’s single-season passing record in 2024 with 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns, then followed it up in 2025 with 29 touchdowns and 3,472 yards. The interceptions (11 in 2024, 13 in 2025) are the only blemish on an otherwise impressive resume.

Bloomington is excited for what Hoover will bring to the roster, and as far as history suggests, it certainly won’t be easy to defeat Indiana with Hoover at the helm. Another undefeated natty? Like Hoover said, “That’s the plan.”