LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went from overlooked recruit to Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Playoff champion, announced Friday that he will enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
He did it, of course, on LinkedIn, where he posted, “My LinkedIn status is now ‘Open to Work,’ and I’m officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”
Mendoza is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick, with the Las Vegas Raiders holding the top selection. His decision caps one of the most improbable and inspiring rises in modern college football.
In his one and only season at Indiana, Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions, guiding the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record, a Big Ten championship, and the program’s first national title. He punctuated his college career with a game-sealing fourth-down touchdown run in a 27-21 win over Miami in the national championship game, diving headlong into the end zone to etch himself into Indiana lore.
A Miami native and former Cal quarterback, Mendoza arrived in Bloomington in January 2025 as a transfer portal addition. Indiana had just made a surprise run to the College Football Playoff, but needed a new quarterback after the departure of Kurtis Rourke. Coach Curt Cignetti turned to Mendoza — and never looked back.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound passer brought more than arm talent. He brought calm. Command. Clutch play. He directed a 12-play game-winning drive at Oregon. He delivered a last-minute touchdown at Penn State. He took a pounding in the Big Ten title game, then came back to lead IU past top-ranked Ohio State. He torched Alabama and Oregon in the Playoff, and sealed the national title with one of the most iconic quarterback runs in championship history.
In the process, Mendoza became Indiana’s first Heisman winner and the face of the greatest season in school history.
He leaves college with more than just a trophy case. He leaves with a legacy — of leadership, poise, and proof that a quarterback from Christopher Columbus High School, once committed to Yale, could rise all the way to the top of the sport.
Now, he’ll take that story to the NFL.
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