The Indiana Hoosiers are set to take on the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship on Monday, January 19. It's a movie-like setting for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, as he will face off against the hometown program that never offered him a scholarship. Leading up to the contest, an old video of Mendoza attending a Miami camp during his high school years surfaces.
In the clip, Mendoza was asked about the things he learned at the camp while decked out in Hurricanes gear. The now 22-year-old quarterback seemed confident in his abilities, but still humble as a student of the game.
“I learned a lot of things,” said the young Fernando Mendoza. “Did well. Competed… Coaches talked to me about how I need to shorten my release point a little bit. And just gave me a couple other coaching points. Other than that, a lot of good stuff.”
Before the Heisman talk.
Before the offers.
We caught up with Fernando Mendoza at a University of Miami camp back when it was just work and belief. pic.twitter.com/rTG1rhOYmg— Footballville (@Footballville) January 16, 2026
Despite growing up in Miami, the Hurricanes did not offer Mendoza a scholarship coming out of high school. Instead, he began his collegiate career with the California Bears, where he played for that program for two seasons. He then transferred to Indiana in 2025.
In his junior year of college football, Fernando Mendoza led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and was named the winner of the 2025-26 Heisman Trophy. His efforts have played a major role in Indiana's run to the title game, as he has looked like one of the best players in the nation all year.
He enters Monday's contest with 3,349 passing yards (career-high), 41 passing touchdowns (leads FBS and is a career-high), and an additional six rushing touchdowns while completing 73.0% of his pass attempts (career-high). If Indiana wins the championship, it will be the first time in school history.
