The Indiana football team's remarkable journey to a national championship in Miami was powered by the emergence of Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who is now the frontrunner for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After leading the Hoosiers to a 27-21 victory over Miami in the title game, Mendoza appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss his future.
He shared a selfless approach to the upcoming draft process, announcing that he will attend the NFL Scouting Combine but choose to skip the throwing drills to preserve his arm for Indiana's Pro Day.
This decision to prioritize his teammates has impressed NFL front offices, including those of the Las Vegas Raiders, who watched him win the championship from the sidelines.
According to a report from the NY Times, the elite level of play seen in Mendoza is the result of a specific vision he was presented with when he first entered the transfer portal. This trend highlights a notable achievement, with Curt Cignetti proudly stating that, since 2019, all but one of the starting quarterbacks he has coached have been named Player of the Year in their respective conferences.
He said that while other programs tried to entice him with team accolades and national rankings, Indiana's football team Coach Cignetti took a different approach.
“However, Coach Cignetti really sold me on, we’re going to develop you,” Mendoza recalled. Cignetti’s pitch was direct: “I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t tell if we’re going to be top 25 in the nation, No. 1, or outside of that top 25. However, I know that I develop quarterbacks. It’s what I do.”
Mendoza has adopted the philosophy of “controlling the controllables,” which has propelled him into the conversation regarding the Las Vegas Raiders' No. 1 overall pick. While on Radio Row, Mendoza expressed his appreciation for Raiders fans' loyalty and emphasized his desire to learn from veteran players instead of seeing himself as a “one-man franchise changer.”
Regardless of whether he ends up in Las Vegas or elsewhere, Mendoza remains focused on the significant growth he has achieved under the guidance of Cignetti and Mike Shanahan.
