The college football season is officially over, and the Indiana Hoosiers are your national champions, defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. The unlikely underdogs led by undaunted head coach Curt Cignetti have won it all just a year after losing in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Hoosiers dominated the Big Ten in the regular season, finishing 12-0 with just three games decided by one score. They ran through the first two games of the College Football Playoff after earning a first-round bye with the No. 1 seed. Against Miami, the Hoosiers got up 10-0 early and blocked a punt in the third quarter, holding on late with an interception on Miami’s final drive in a gutsy win to bring the Hoosiers their first national title in program history.
Cignetti isn’t going anywhere, and they’ve already signed the second-ranked transfer portal class, per On3’s rankings, thanks in part to a huge NIL donation from billionaire and Indiana alum Mark Cuban. Indiana is poised to remain at the apex of the sport next season, thanks to their returning players and the haul the Hoosiers obtained out of the transfer portal.
The Indiana Hoosiers Have a New Quarterback
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 09: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates a touchdown pass against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is off to the NFL, the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick (currently held by the Las Vegas Raiders). Cignetti needs a new starter under center, and that player is going to be former TCU QB Josh Hoover. After four seasons with the Horned Frogs, including a redshirt season in 2022, Hoover joins Indiana coming off back-to-back excellent seasons. As a redshirt sophomore, he had 3,949 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, following that up with 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2025.
Before Mendoza, Cignetti had Kurtis Rourke at quarterback, who led Indiana to an 11-1 regular season and playoff berth. Mendoza elevated the Hoosiers program even further, and now it’ll be Hoover’s job to keep that momentum going. It would be unreasonable to expect him to replicated Mendoza’s success — but underestimating Cignetti has proven to be a mistake, and On3 rated him as a four-star transfer prospect with an elite 94.72 rating.
The Indiana Hoosiers Reloaded Through the Portal in Impressive Fashion
Hoover is their highest-rated incoming transfer prospect, but Indiana signed 17 transfers already, and it’s a loaded class containing three players with a 90-plus rating on On3. WR Nick Marsh comes over from Michigan State after posting back-to-back seasons with over 600 yards with the Spartans. Wisconsin G Joe Brunner should boost Indiana’s interior offensive line, especially with the departure of All-Big Ten C Pat Coogan to the NFL.
Of all the Hoosiers’ transfers, the biggest name might be Penn State CB A.J. Harris. Once thought of as a premier draft prospect, Harris struggled as the Nittany Lions had a down year that led to the firing of HC James Franklin. He now joins Indiana as one of the top transfer portal targets available and should be an immediate star in their secondary.
The other 14 players Indiana added are Tulane WR Shazz Preston, Kansas State ED Chiddi Obiazor, Notre Dame ED Joshua Burnham, Boston College RB Turbo Richard, Kansas State ED Tobi Osunsanmi, Tulsa DT Joe Hjelli, Miami TE Brock Schott, Wisconsin S Preston Zachman, Montana State CB Carson Williams, Cincinnati CB Jiquan Sanks, Iowa State LS Drew Clausen, Hawaii P Billy Gowers, and Troy K Paddy McAteer.
Indiana Transfers & Commits: Who Has Signed to Play for the Hoosiers Next Season?