The college football transfer portal gained another marquee addition on Thursday when TCU quarterback Josh Hoover confirmed his decision to leave Fort Worth. The portal does not officially open until January 2, but Hoover is already arguably the top player available.
Hoover joins a growing list of highly coveted quarterbacks seeking their next teams in the portal. Drew Mestemaker, Dylan Raiola, D.J. Lagway and Brendan Sorsby have all already announced their decisions to transfer, among others.
Hoover, however, hits the portal as one of the most experienced players in the country. The 21-year-old is expected to begin the 2026 season with the most passing yards and passing touchdowns of any active player in college football, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Depending on where he lands, Hoover could become a key offseason acquisition for a title-contending team in 2026. A few schools have already been linked to his name, as the gunslinger has ties to multiple programs that could be his next potential home.
Josh Hoover already linked to Indiana
Within hours of his transfer news breaking, Josh Hoover has already been linked to Indiana. He has no direct pre-existing ties to the Hoosiers, but the connection has already gained significant traction among fans on social media.
Whether there is truth to the rumor or not, Curt Cignetti will be seeking his third different starting quarterback in as many years in just a matter of months. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is listed atop the majority of mock drafts and big boards as the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April.
Indiana has a few in-house options to replace Mendoza, including the Heisman Trophy winner's younger brother. But with a coach like Cignetti, who is determined to develop Indiana into a perennial title contender, Hoover's experience and decorated track record are too profound to ignore.
Once Indiana's season officially ends, expect Cignetti to go back to the well and revisit the transfer portal. If he truly has the inside track to landing Hoover, expect the TCU alum to end his illustrious college football career in Bloomington.
It is worth noting that before committing to TCU, Hoover was recruited by and visited Indiana.
Josh Hoover could succeed Ty Simpson at Alabama
Alabama will likely be in the same position as Indiana in the offseason, with star quarterback Ty Simpson emerging as a top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Yet, unlike the Hoosiers, the Tide already seemingly have a plan to replace Simpson in motion with former five-star prospect Keelon Russell.
The connections Hoover has to Indiana are still worth mentioning. Hoover's primary contact while being recruited by Indiana was Nick Sheridan, who was then the Hoosiers' quarterbacks coach under Tom Allen. Sheridan is now Kalen DeBoer's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama.
However, everything about Alabama's current roster hinges on DeBoer's immediate future. The 51-year-old has been at odds with the fan base since he took over for Nick Saban in 2023 and has recently emerged as a leading candidate for the vacant job at Michigan. The odds of DeBoer accepting the job in Ann Arbor are expected to increase exponentially if the Tide lose in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
Assuming DeBoer stays put and Simpson moves on, Hoover would suddenly become an intriguing option for Alabama. Crimson Tide fans are already itching to see Russell, but DeBoer might not have any room to gamble on an unproven player when he has a chance to secure a veteran like Hoover.
Clemson has Josh Hoover ties
Perhaps even more intriguing than Josh Hoover's ties to Alabama is his link to Clemson. Not only does Hoover have a history with Tigers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley, who worked in the same role at TCU in 2022, but Riley was the one who recruited him to the Horned Frogs.
The entire Clemson football program is coming off a down year in 2025, but Riley has overall been a successful hire for Dabo Swinney. Riley is directly responsible for Cade Klubnik's success in 2023 and 2024, despite the Heisman hopeful's unexpected regression as a senior.
Clemson returned eight offensive starters in 2025 and will have to replace five of them in 2026, including Klubnik. Swinney is forced into one of his biggest program rebuilds in what could feasibly be the most important offseason of his career, and signing Hoover would be a monumental first step in the college football transfer portal.
Ole Miss could be a dark horse option
Ole Miss is set to undergo a full program rebuild in 2025 as it transitions from Lane Kiffin to Pete Golding. Part of that process might include replacing quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who could be on his way out of Oxford.
Chambliss, who applied for an additional year of NCAA eligibility, has yet to receive an official verdict. He could also enter the 2026 NFL Draft with a strong performance in the playoffs or enter the college football transfer portal.
Should Chambliss leave, Ole Miss would be in play for Hoover. The Rebels will have a different head coach and offensive coordinator in 2026, but new OC John David Baker brings a Texas-style offense after graduating from Abilene Christian and beginning his coaching career at North Texas.
It would certainly be a surprise, but Ole Miss should be considered a dark horse landing spot for Hoover if Chambliss is indeed in his final year of college football.
Tennessee needs another quarterback
Tennessee was one of the few teams that threw more than TCU did in 2025, ending the year with the sixth-most passing yards per game. The Volunteers are now tasked with replacing star quarterback Joey Aguilar, who led the SEC with 3,444 passing yards. Aguilar's backup, Jake Merklinger, also entered the college football transfer portal.
Tennessee has become a desirable landing spot recently, but few offenses ask more of their quarterbacks than those coached by Josh Huepel. Hoover's experience in a similar system has him Tailor-made for the vacant position and an ideal replacement for Aguilar.
Tennessee has five-star recruit Faizon Brandon headed to Knoxville to succeed Aguilar, but the 17-year-old seems destined for a redshirt year in 2026. The Volunteers' next quarterback will almost certainly be another transfer, and Hoover should be their ideal candidate.
