Fernando who?
Fresh off of claiming its first title in program history, No. 5 Indiana has enjoyed a faultless start to the season. The Hoosiers have downed each of their six foes to kick off the campaign. Their newly-minted starting quarterback has been a big reason why.
Josh Hoover arrived in Bloomington in the offseason, having previously spent four seasons with TCU. The 23-year-old has made his impact felt quickly since linking up with Curt Cignetti’s side, quietly producing numbers that would compare favorably with the Raiders’ No. 1 pick.
With that, here’s a look at how Hoover and Mendoza’s metrics compare.
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Josh Hoover vs. Fernando Mendoza stats
It was always going to be difficult for Hoover to live up to his predecessor’s glittering 2025 campaign. However, early indications are that the Hoosiers picked the right man to replace their first-ever Heisman winner.
| Josh Hoover, 2026 | Fernando Mendoza, 2025 | |
| 6 | GP | 16 |
| 6-0 | Record | 16-0 |
| 200.5 | Rate | 182.9 |
| 88-129 | Comp/Att | 273-379 |
| 68.2 | Comp. Pct. | 72.0 |
| 1,364 | Pass Yds | 3,535 |
| 17 | Pass TDs | 41 |
| 0 | INT | 6 |
| 42 | Rush Yds | 276 |
| 1 | Rush TDs | 7 |
Hoover is averaging more passing yards per game than Mendoza. He’s also finding the end at an incomprehensible level, producing touchdowns on a whopping 13.2% of his throws. By comparison, Joe Burrow “only” posted a TD rate of 11.4% when he hit for 60 with LSU in 2019.
The Horned Frogs transfer is presently on pace to soar past Mendoza in terms of passing yards and touchdowns. He also has yet to give the ball away via interception this season. Even Mendoza, one of the most efficient passers in recent college football history, threw six picks in his Heisman year.
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Hoover’s numbers come with a notable caveat. Indiana has yet to play a top-25 team this campaign. The Hoosiers survived against Northwestern, who has since surged into the top-25. But for the most part, Hoover and Co. have been beating up on teams they are expected to beat.
Given Indiana’s underwhelming strength of schedule in its opening six fixtures, Hoover has yet to garner the sort of Heisman buzz that might be expected from someone with the metrics he has. He’ll get a chance to make a plea to voters when the Hoosiers take on No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday. If Hoover can produce another impressive outing, he could make himself a household name before long.
It’s folly to believe that Hoover will be able to maintain this level of performance as the year rolls on and Indiana’s schedule stiffens. Nevertheless, if he’s able to lead the Hoosiers to strong results against the likes of the Buckeyes and USC, he could put himself in position to get Mendoza-like treatment in the latter portions of the year.
