COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 15 Fernando Mendoza
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 225 pounds
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Class/Position: Redshirt Junior / Quarterback
The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is almost complete! For the 100 days leading up to kickoff, we at Hoosier Huddle will feature every player from the 2025 roster in anticipation of Indiana’s first game of the season against Old Dominion. Today, we will highlight a newcomer that surely anyone reading this has heard of, QB1 Fernando Mendoza.
After Curt Cignetti struck gold last season when he nabbed Kurtis Rourke out of the transfer portal and he had one of the all-time greatest seasons in Indiana history, Cignetti and his staff ventured into the portal with similar intentions this offseason. They came back with arguably a positional upgrade in Cal’s Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza appeared in 20 career games with 19 starts over the three seasons he spent with the Golden Bears and finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) and tied for 7th in 250-yard passing games, equaling the marks of Gale Gilbert and Aaron Rodgers. Mendoza did this behind what was considered to be a very poor offensive line, which makes the feat all the more impressive.
NFL Draft scouts and preseason award watch lists have already indicated they’ll have their eyes on the Indiana starting quarterback this season, landing him on the preseason Maxwell, O’Brien, Hornung, and Wuerffel Award/Trophy preseason watch lists and in way-too-early first rounds of NFL mock drafts. The arm talent and accuracy is clear when watching Mendoza, but arguably the most exciting skill he’ll bring to the table is his ability to make plays out of the pocket as a runner as well, a trait Kurtis Rourke struggled to bring to the table considering he played the entire season on a torn ACL.
“You can tell right off the bat that he is a super smart kid and obviously at quarterback that is what you need,” said projected starting center and Notre Dame transfer Pat Coogan this spring. “I have never watched him take a math test or anything, but you can just tell from talking to him and being around him all the time he is a super intelligent guy.”
If Mendoza is able to perform to similar levels as Rourke, along with adding the ability to make plays out of the pocket, the Hoosiers could once again be in for a special season.
The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!