Fernando Mendoza stakes claim to 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 pick with Rose Bowl masterpiece

Big Ten Championship MVP, Heisman Trophy Winner, Rose Bowl Champion and College Football Playoff semifinalist. The list of accolades is ever-growing for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. And after Thursday's performance in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl, he might be able to add a new accolade this coming April: No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

On his biggest stage yet (and he previously outclassed Julian Sayin and Ohio State in the Big Ten title game), Mendoza operated with elite precision in engineering a 38-3 blowout victory over Alabama in Pasadena.

Mendoza completed 14-of-16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 16 yards on eight carries. While it might not seem like much statistically, Mendoza appeared to make every play both through the air and scrambling when the passing lanes broke down. Particularly on all three touchdown passes, each throw was right on the money.

2026 NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza looking the part of an NFL franchise QB

In a year where New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is taking the league by storm with precision and accuracy, Mendoza fits that mold, having completed 72% of his passes in 2025. He has thrown for 3,172 yards and 36 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Mendoza has added 256 yards and six touchdowns rushing for the Hoosiers.

Mendoza also has the frame, standing 6-5 and weighing 225 pounds. While the Miami native doesn't have the same arm talent that Maye has (who does, honestly?), he can make every throw necessary in the NFL. 

To top it all off, Mendoza has the personality and professionalism and will likely blow NFL teams away with his interviews during the Combine. All it takes is a couple of minutes listening to Mendoza to realize that he is the total package, not just a great player.

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-14) are likely to have the No. 1 pick, and Mendoza would be the perfect fit alongside budding superstars Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders are in desperate need of a signal caller, and Mendoza has laid his claim to the title of QB1 and the overall No. 1 of this draft.

If the Raiders choose to pass on Mendoza, other landing spots could include the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, or Cleveland Browns. It's hard to imagine him falling any further than that, but if the Raiders want to stay true to Vegas' gambling roots, they would be ill-advised not to push all of their chips to the middle of the table for Mendoza at pick No. 1.