The Indiana football team has cranked its Fernando Mendoza Heisman push into high gear, and the timing could not be better. The Cal transfer has the Hoosiers at 11-0, sitting atop most Heisman odds boards after throwing for 2,641 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, plus five rushing scores.
IU even rolled out an official ”#HeisMendoza” LinkedIn page to spotlight both his numbers and his community work as the regular season winds toward its close.
Behind the gaudy stats, though, Mendoza says his edge starts before kickoff. Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, he revealed his pregame routine is built around stillness, not hype.
“On game day, I do my daily meditation, 10 minutes, to zone in,” he told Michael Niziolek, describing a short window where he blocks out noise and locks in on his job. For a quarterback carrying both a program’s playoff hopes and a Heisman campaign, that calm is part of the brand.
You can see it in how he plays. Indiana’s offense has been explosive yet controlled, with Mendoza rarely forcing throws and consistently operating with the composed tempo of a veteran.
The Heisman campaign materials emphasize that balance, positioning him as a nation-leading passer who also carries himself like a CEO on and off the field. Meditation fits neatly into that image, an explanation for how he keeps delivering big moments without looking rattled.
At the same time, Curt Cignetti and his staff are making sure this is not a one-year story. The Indiana football team just flipped wide receiver Lavar Keys, a former Penn State commit from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, adding another weapon for the future.
Keys, a 5-foot-11 burner ranked among his state’s top 20 prospects, told 247Sports he chose IU because of how the offense plans to move him around, using his speed on screens and vertical shots in ways that mirror his high school role.
With an 11-0 record, a creative staff stacking commits like Keys, and a quarterback who starts game day with 10 minutes of silence before shredding defenses, Indiana’s campaign is selling more than just highlights.
It is selling a complete package: preparation, poise, and a program that looks built to stay in the national conversation long after the Heisman votes are counted.
