Fernando Mendoza has positioned himself as a top candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is also an odds-on favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy after getting Indiana off to an undefeated start to the 2026 college football season.
This all coming after transferring to the Hoosiers from the University of California where he sent the first three years of his collegiate career. A star at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Mendoza wasn’t a top recruit but emerged as a quarterback talent teams were looking at after throwing for 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns. That recruiting process initially led him to Yale, but he decided to go to California instead and what a decision that was.
Fernando Mendoza: A journey from Cal to Indiana
At Cal, Mendoza saw his first action in 2023 after he redshirted in the 2022 season. Mendoza showed promise in his starts that season with his first collegiate start coming against Oregon State. In that game, Mendoza completed 21 of 32 of his pass attempts for 207 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Although a loss, the performance did earn him more time on the field throughout the rest of the 2023 season.
Mendoza really took off entering the 2024 season where he won the starting job and threw for 3,004 yards that season while completing 66.4 percent of his passes. While he was emerging as a top quarterback in the ACC, Mendoza decided to enter the transfer portal and announced his transfer to Indiana on December 23, 2024. It was a smart decision as Mendoza now has the Hoosiers flying high as national championship contender. As he continues to torch defenses with his accuracy, patience in the pocket and arm talent, the Miami native is well positioned as one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Fernando Mendoza NFL Draft profile
Position: Quarterback
College: Indiana Hoosiers
Height/Weight: 6-5, 225 lbs
Hometown: Miami, FL
40-yard Dash: 4.75 seconds (unofficial)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 1,755 passing yards, 21 TD, 2 INT, 73.5 Comp. %
Career Stats: 6,467 passing yards, 51 TD, 18 INT, 68.0 Comp %
Strengths:
- Great size and athleticism for a quarterback at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds.
- Shows extreme patience in the pocket and shows toughness and poise in standing tall against the rush and delivering positive plays for his offense.
- Excellent accuracy and ball placement on short-to-intermediate throws, especially with his ability to layer throws over linebackers and under safeties.
- Above average athleticism allows him to be utilized as an RPO quarterback.
- Elite at reading defenses and picking up the blitz. Able to adjust and find the right plays.
- Exhibit a quick release which allows him to excel at RPO’s and timing routes.
- Footwork and mobility contribute to his pocket presence, manipulation and ability to scramble out of the pocket.
- Cerebral quarterback who has the overall tools to be a franchise quarterback at the next level.
Weaknesses:
- Needs to work on his deep ball accuracy and take more shots down the field.
- His poise in the pocket does lead to more sacks at times.
- Lacks dynamic athleticism although mobile enough to make plays with his feet.
- Will need to gain more mass at the NFL level. Although tall, is a slender quarterback.
NFL pro comparison:
Mendoza has drawn comparisons to an array of NFL quarterbacks. From Jared Goff to Matt Ryan to Kirk Cousins, it is Mendoza’s cerebral talent, accuracy and pocket placement that will make him a good, starting caliber quarterback in the NFL. The more favorable comparison would be Cousins based on Mendoza’s lack of elite physical tools. He’s tall and mobile enough to be impactful on the field, but the question is can he be a more effective, consistent starting quarterback than Cousins? The answer may depend on which team selects him and what he has around him to start his NFL career.
2026 NFL Draft projection
Fernando Mendoza has established himself as one of the top quarterback prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. His ability to lead Indiana as one of the top college football programs during the 2026 college football season has been extraordinary if not nearly flawless. Just ask Pat McAfee who had nothing but praise for Mendoza During ESPN’s “College GameDay” prior to Indiana’s early season matchup vs Iowa.
"Fernando's been dropped in there and he's made them even better than they were last year and he's worked himself in not only being a Heisman favorite, he's probably going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft as well," McAfee said. "He's tall, he's smart, he can spin it (and) I love what he's doing down in Bloomington."
If not No. 1 overall, Mendoza is certainly a top 5 pick at the very least. Things could change as the season moves forward, but with many NFL teams hungry for a franchise caliber quarterback, Mendoza ranks amongst the best.