Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover is cleared to play Saturday against USC, the university announced, but head coach Curt Cignetti still had not named him the Hoosiers’ starter as of early Saturday afternoon, just two hours before kickoff.
With the Big Ten race on the line and backup Grant Wilson coming off an overtime rescue against Minnesota, one question hangs over Bloomington. Who takes the first snap?
Neither Hoover nor Wilson appears on Indiana’s Big Ten availability report — the equivalent of an NFL injury report — according to ESPN. Both quarterbacks are eligible for the 3:30 p.m. ET game, to be broadcast by CBS. Hoover has started all nine games this season, and his absence from the report points toward a return. No public confirmation had surfaced by early Saturday afternoon.
Cignetti offered no hint on Monday.
“We’ll see how the week plays out and we’ll see who we trot out there,” the coach said, as quoted by Indiana Public Media.
Silence on lineup and health matters is routine for Cignetti, according to a Fox Sports report. This time, though, the coach has a real decision to make. Hoover has thrown for only 200 yards over two games, and he has not completed 55% of his passes in any of his last four. An offense that averaged 42 points early in the season has managed 18 per game across that stretch, Cignetti noted on Monday.
Indiana Hoosiers QB Josh Hoover’s Injury and Career Background
Hoover hurt his throwing arm Oct. 17 against Ohio State, Indiana’s only loss. He stayed in the lineup a week later at Michigan, where he completed 8 of 18 passes for 81 yards and threw his first interception of the year.
Minnesota brought more questions. Hoover went 8 of 19 for 119 yards with a touchdown and an interception before a hard hit on his right shoulder just ahead of halftime ended his afternoon.
“Josh is on the mend,” Cignetti said on his radio show during the bye week, as quoted by Fox Sports. The coach has not provided a more specific health update since.
The numbers before the injury tell a different story. Hoover, a Texas native from Rockwall-Heath High School, originally committed to Indiana before signing with TCU. There, he set the school’s single-season passing record with 3,949 yards in 2024, then added 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2025. He transferred in January to replace Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Through nine games as a Hoosier, Hoover has 1,860 yards, 19 touchdowns and two interceptions on 124-of-206 passing.
Indiana Outlook vs. USC With Wilson or Hoover
Wilson’s case rests largely on one half. He took over with Indiana down 10-7 and completed 9 of 17 throws for 156 yards, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass that opened overtime in a 23-16 win.
“I have a lot of confidence in him,” Cignetti said, per Fox Sports.
The Arlington, Virginia, product from Yorktown High School began his career at Fordham, then moved to Old Dominion, where he threw for 2,149 yards and 17 touchdowns as the 2023 starter. He joined Indiana in 2025 and is now in his seventh college season.
Either way, Indiana enters as the favorite. The Hoosiers (8-1) sit No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings to No. 18 for USC (7-2), and they opened as a 7.5-point favorite. They are 1-8 against the spread, however.
A healthy Hoover gives Indiana the passer who threw 18 touchdowns before his first interception. Wilson brings a far smaller sample, and he would work without running back Turbo Richard, who injured his left shoulder against Minnesota and is out Saturday.
The defense has carried Indiana through two straight overtime wins. Whether it has to carry a third game, with the Big Ten race at stake, depends on a decision Cignetti is keeping to himself until kickoff.
Indiana Announces Josh Hoover Injury Update Before USC Game: Will He Start?