TCU quarterback Josh Hoover intends to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2, he announced Thursday.
Hoover, who has thrown for more than 9,600 yards with 71 touchdowns in his career, started for the Horned Frogs for the last three seasons and will have one year of eligibility remaining. His 3,949 passing yards in 2024 were a school record.
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“I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to represent TCU for an incredible 4 years,” Hoover wrote in a statement. “It has been a dream to be able to play and graduate from this university and I will forever be grateful for that. I want to thank Coach Dykes for giving me the opportunity to play at TCU. I want to thank Coach Briles and the rest of the coaching staff for pushing me to be my best on and off the field. Lastly, I want to thank my teammates for all of the memories that we’ve shared together. This place has allowed me to meet some of my best friends, and I will always be grateful for that.”
TCU entered the 2025 season with hopes of making a Big 12 title run, but the Horned Frogs went 5-4 in conference play and 8-4 overall. Hoover will not play in the Alamo Bowl.
A year ago, TCU increased Hoover’s pay and retained him after Tennessee began looking for a quarterback to replace the outgoing Nico Iamaleava. Hoover was believed to be making around $2 million in 2025, according to a source briefed on the contract.
The Horned Frogs recently had an offensive coordinator change, as Kendal Briles recently accepted the same job at South Carolina. TCU hired former UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis as his successor. Hoover following Briles doesn’t appear likely, as South Carolina’s incumbent starter, LaNorris Sellers, is expected to return to the Gamecocks.
What could Hoover’s market look like, and who could get in the mix?
This is a deep quarterback market, with a lot of big-name entrants. Florida’s DJ Lagway, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, Missouri’s Beau Pribula and North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker are all among the passers who have either announced their intentions to enter the portal or are expected to do so.
Hoover’s production, experience and arm talent should put him near the top of the list. He was sixth nationally in passing yards in 2025 (3,472) and was responsible for 30 touchdowns this season, tied for 20th-most in the FBS.
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Keep an eye on Indiana in the race for Hoover. The Hoosiers have been surveying the transfer quarterback market as they prepare for the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick if he declares. Hoover, who has one year of eligibility left, could follow in the footsteps of Mendoza and raise his draft stock with a big year the way Mendoza did after arriving from Cal.
Hoover has some familiarity with the Indiana program: He was recruited by the Hoosiers out of high school, when Tom Allen was head coach, and committed to them in the summer of 2021. His commitment held for five-plus months before he flipped to TCU less than two weeks before the early signing period, shortly after Dykes’ arrival.
As the quarterback market continues to go up, Hoover could draw a seven-figure increase from what he was making at TCU.