It seemed like the start of another offseason arms race when TCU starting QB Josh Hoover declared his entry to the transfer portal. But the Horned Frogs don’t seem to be waiting around behind the scenes in Fort Worth. Hoover’s departure won’t keep the post open for very long, as TCU seems to have already scanned the board for its QB1.

“Popular Harvard QB transfer Jaden Craig is set to visit TCU, ” Matt Zenitz reported. “Was a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton FCS Offensive Player of the Year award at Harvard and was on the preseason Senior Bowl Top 300 list.”

When the transfer portal reopens, Craig is expected to be among the most-watched names for TCU. The Harvard star, who has thrown for 5,299 yards and 58 touchdowns over the last two seasons while completing 61 percent of his passes, has built his rise on production and polish. Former head coach Tim Murphy praised him, calling him the finest quarterback the team has had since Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he helped Harvard to its first FCS playoff appearance in 2025.

Craig leaves Cambridge as one of the most successful quarterbacks in Ivy League history. This fall, he led Harvard to a 9-1 regular-season record and concluded his career as the Crimson’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, solidifying a legacy based on toughness and consistency. Jaden Craig had long been considered one of the best quarterback prospects in the FCS, and this season, he quietly drew interest from NFL scouts who viewed him as a potential Day 3 draft option.

“Good decision-maker,” one NFL scout said. “Really like his pocket presence and mobility. Stands tall. Full field reads, gets through progressions with natural pace. Worried about his arm strength. That’s what would hold me back from (him) being draftable at the moment. Better athlete than I expected though and has escapability.”

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But Harvard’s season ended on a bitter note. A 45–28 loss to Yale in the regular-season finale cost the Crimson the Ivy League’s automatic bid to its first-ever FCS playoff.

Harvard’s season may have ended in disappointment, but the quarterback shuffle is far from over. Across the country, Josh Hoover’s next move is coming into focus, and all signs point toward one program.

Josh Hoover’s portal path is taking shape

Josh Hoover’s next chapter is starting to come into focus, and all signs continue to point towards Indiana. According to sources, Indiana is still the best team for the former TCU quarterback, and there is growing optimism that the Hoosiers might win this recruiting battle. After four seasons in Fort Worth, the sixth-best passer in the country officially entered the transfer portal, closing the book on a productive run as the Horned Frogs’ QB1.

Hoover leaves TCU with gratitude. “First, I want to thank God for the opportunities that he has blessed me with to play this game,” Hoover said in a statement. “I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to represent TCU for an incredible four years. It has been a dream to be able to play and graduate from this university.” He later added that the relationships mattered most: “This place has allowed me to meet some of my best friends, and I will always be grateful for that.”

On the field, Josh Hoover has 71 passing touchdowns across three seasons as the starter, topped 30 total touchdowns in each of the past two years, and 4,000 passing yards in 2024 while leading TCU to a 9–4 finish. Turnovers were part of the story with 13 interceptions this season, but so was leadership, and consistent production.

Now, Indiana looms as the clear favorite. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers are expected to target Hoover as the successor to Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to leave for the early NFL draft after his Heisman-winning season.

“And the final domino that will unfold on the grass behind me today is Fernando Mendoza. The widespread expectation in the NFL is that Mendoza is expected to go pro. Obviously, he just won the Heisman Trophy,” Thamel said. “To replace him, I’ve been told Indiana is expected to target Josh Hoover, the former TCU quarterback.”

With Hoover’s initial commitment to Indiana out of high school and 247Sports projecting a 100 percent lean toward the Hoosiers, this could be a reunion that could come together quickly as Indiana prepares for next season after its star quarterback.