Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was taken with the first overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in Thursday’s NFL Draft. It had been speculated for months that the Raiders would select the Heisman Trophy winner who led the Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff National Championship.
Mendoza becomes the first Hoosier selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Thomas Lewis in 1994 (NY Giants) and the first number one overall pick out of IU since 1938 (Corby Davis).
Mendoza spent three seasons at California before transferring to Indiana for the 2025 season. He came to Bloomington with high expectations and exceeded them beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. In leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 national championship season, he won the Heisman Trophy and set the school record for touchdown passes with 41. On the year, Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards, accounted for 48 touchdowns and threw just six interceptions.
Even though Mendoza spent just one season in Bloomington, he will go down as one of the greatest Hoosiers of all-time. His personality off the field captured fans’ attention as much as his play on the field.
What the Raiders are Getting?
Many people will say there is nothing “generational” about Fernando Mendoza. That could not be more wrong. His preparation, both mentally and physically, was without peer this past season. He can make every throw and while he may look awkward running the football, his vision as a ball carrier in college was impressive.
Mendoza has ‘It’. That’s his generational talent. Every time he was hit in the mouth, both literally and figuratively, he responded. After throwing three interceptions late in games on the road, he came back to lead game-winning drives. He proved, time and again, that he can make the biggest plays at the most important time.
Mendoza is a precision-based pocket passer whose game is built on rare accuracy and steady command in high-leverage moments. He lacks improvisational talent but proved to be a maestro playing the notes on the page with excellent rhythm and few mistakes as the season wore on. Mechanically sound and intensely accurate, Mendoza is fearless in attacking pre- and post-snap reads. He can feather throws into deep windows or between levels. He consistently hits moving targets in stride on digs, slants, outs and crossers. However, he needs plays to stay on schedule as his arm talent and velocity are fairly average. Third-and-long and red-zone execution stand out. Mendoza is big and tough but moves around the pocket with heavy shoes and limited escapability, which could invite excessive hits on Sundays. He can make life easier on his receivers and his play-caller, but above-average pass protection feels like a non-negotiable. He’s still young with football to learn and adversity to face, but his character, competitiveness and rapid ascension make it easier to project he will be a very good starter within his first three seasons. – Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
What is Mendoza’s 2026 Outlook?
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has said that a rookie quarterback would not start from day one in a perfect world. The Raiders brought in veteran Kirk Cousins to give Mendoza a mentor and time to grow into his role as the future of the franchise. It would not be a shock to see Mendoza get some late-season starts should the Raiders be out of postseason contention.