ESPN named the former Horned Frogs quarterback as the No. 1 newcomer in college football. Can TCU's incoming transfers pick up the slack?
The TCU Horned Frogs enter the 2026 season having to replace one of the best transfers from this last cycle.
In fact, ESPN names him as the best newcomer in all of college football.
Josh Hoover is moving on to the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers after spending four years in Fort Worth. He takes over the offense for Curt Cignetti, which was previously led by Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, Fernando Mendoza.
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The Hoosiers' need for Hoover was obvious. Mendoza's younger brother and backup quarterback, Alberto, also transferred to Georgia Tech.
"The Hoosiers needed another experienced passer capable of sustaining College Football Playoff expectations in Bloomington," said Billy Tucker.
The publication names Indiana as a "premier destination" for quarterbacks, with Kurtis Rourke and Mendoza finding success after transferring to Indiana. So, Hoover aims to enjoy a similar fate.
But for TCU, that's nearly 10,000 career passing yards and a major leadership weight in the locker room that needs replacing. Ken Seals, Hoover's backup, also departed the program by graduating.
As is common in today's landscape, Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs also chose to find experience elsewhere rather than commit to a "rebuild" of sorts with a younger home-grown prospect.
TCU added former Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig in this portal cycle. ESPN ranks Craig as the No. 71 newcomer in the country this year.
"A veteran coming into a new scene on a new level of competition, head coach Sonny Dykes noted how he did a great job in preparations throughout spring practice," Tucker says of Craig.
The 6-2 senior left Cambridge as the Crimson's all-time passing leader. He recorded 6,074 yards over three seasons at Harvard, including career-highs last season of 2,869 yards and 25 passing touchdowns.
"Craig will benefit from using the spring to adjust to the speed of the Power 4 game, but he also brought a lot of tools with him from his time at Harvard," Tucker added.
"He has adequate size with the arm talent to make every throw. Craig does a good job placing the ball at all levels of the field. He can deliver the ball well in tight windows and also hit receivers in stride. Craig has historically done a good job protecting the ball, which will be critical to TCU's success this season."
Hoover averaged over one turnover per game in his career with the Frogs. That has been the obvious factor holding TCU's offense back, and Craig's arrival offers the optimism of a clean slate helping resolve those issues.
On paper, there's reason for Frogs fans to believe he can lead the turnaround. Craig posted a 52-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio at Harvard, though Hoover's drastic numbers also come with much more pass attempts.
With the jump from FCS to FBS ball, Craig will experience that stronger emphasis on the air attack. It's an adjustment he has confidence in.
"I think my decision to come to TCU was to prove that the talent translates and transcends levels," Craig said this spring. "It's not just that I can look good in the Ivy League. I want to show that I can look good in front of anybody."
