Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers are national champions. In a clutch performance, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft cemented his status as the top quarterback prize come April.
In facing a tough Miami Hurricanes defense on Monday night, Mendoza took his hits, showed his toughness and showcased a clutch gene that should have the team holding the No. 1 overall selection in the draft, a Las Vegas Raiders team starting for a franchise quarterback savoring.
In a season in which he has taken home the Heisman Trophy as the top player in the nation, Mendoza used his legs to help cement a 27-21 win that showed a team like the Raiders that he is the quarterback of their future. In all, Mendoza went just 16-of-27 with 186 passing yards, but it was his rushing touchdown that clinched his status as the top overall pick.
Fernando Mendoza: A demonstration of toughness
With the Hosiers up 17-14 with 9:18 left in the game, Mendoza made the defining play of the game, a play that will symbolize his career. On a fourth down play, the Indiana QB ran up the gut, through Miami defenders before launching into the end zone.
FERNANDO. MENDOZA.
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
THE PLAY OF A LIFETIME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/g3o5nNNslr
Mendoza, who is not known for his legs, demonstrated his sneaky athleticism in the play. He also showed he is a quarterback willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. That includes putting his body on the line:
“I had to go airborne. I’d die for my team. Whatever they need me to do. They need me to take shots in the front or the back, whatever it is, I’m gonna die for my team out there and I know they’re going to do the same for me. That’s what makes us so close. That’s what makes the national championship so special.”
2026 NFL Draft destination: Heismandoza to Vegas
After Dante Moore made his decision to return to Oregon, there is no doubt Mendoza will be the top quarterback off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. He didn’t throw for a ton of yards in Indiana’s win over Miami, but he found other ways to impact the national championship game and that should put to rest reluctance for the Raiders to take him No. 1 overall or some team.
While it’s hard to believe Vegas with Tom Brady as a partial owner would pass on Mendoza, there’s a chance a team like the New York Jets put in an offer the Raiders can’t resist to swap picks. You can expect that speculation and whirlwind of rumors to dominate the pre-draft process. But ultimately the Mendoza lands with the Raiders.
After a 3-14 season, a season in which they sent Pete Carroll packing at its conclusion, the Raiders are a team in need of a competitor from the quarterback position. They have cornerstone stars in Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers and a running back in Ashton Jeanty who was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Could they be a coach and quarterback combination away from a turnaround the likes of the New England Patriots with Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel?
They are still searching for the coach, but the quarterback was in the national spotlight on Monday night, and he looked like the definition of a competitor.
"He’s so tough," Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti told ESPN in reference of Mendoza. "He got hit. He had no time. He keeps getting back up. Just a great competitor and there’s no way this gets done without that kind of performance at that position. I can’t say enough great things about him."
Get ready for the Mendoza experience Raiders Nation.