Coming off one of if not the most successful seasons in program history, the Indiana football team continues to take steps towards the top of the Big Ten. Under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers went 11-2 and clinched a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Now, on the heels of snagging transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza from the Cal Bears, they've also found a 3-star signal-calling prospect. Jacob Bell, currently starring at Naperville (Ill.) North High School, committed to the Hoosiers on Christmas Day according to on3's Steve Wiltfong on X, formerly Twitter.

“BREAKING: Indiana gets a Christmas Day commitment from Naperville (Ill.) North 2025 QB Jacob Bell,” Wiltfong posted on the social media platform. “‘Seeing Coach Cignetti flip around a long-awaited dynasty and make them a College Football Playoff contender in his first year lets me know that they have a bright future and it’s something that looks fun to be a part of,' Bell told On3.”

Although they lost to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road, this year was a major success for the Indiana football program. Current starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke is set to graduate, and Mendoza comes aboard after two years with Cal.

He should assume the starting signal caller role next season, provided he can hold off Bell and other competition in the spring and possibly fall camps. 2025 will bring increased expectations to Cignetti's team. Can Indiana football rise to the occasion and push to the top of the Big Ten? It could all depend on who starts at quarterback against Old Dominion come Week 1 next year.

Indiana football looks to build off storybook 2024 season

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Mendoza started 20 games over two seasons for the Golden Bears, including 11 games this year. The sophomore from Miami, Florida had a QBR of 64.2 en route to passing for just over 3,000 yards on the season (3,004 to be precise).

He also accounted for 18 touchdowns, including 16 through the air. He should be able to come in and claim the starting role for Cignetti and co-offensive coordinators Mike Shanahan and Chandler Whitmer.

How Whitmer and Mendoza mesh could be one of the upcoming season's key factors for the Indiana football program. If Mendoza doesn't grasp Shanahan and Whitmer's system, then it could open the door for Bell or another quarterback to take the starting role.

Whether it's Mendoza, Bell or someone else, one thing is for certain: the Hoosiers aspire to reach even greater heights than they did in 2024.