The 2025 Indiana football season has been nothing short of magical. The Hoosiers finished the season undefeated at 13-0 and shocked the defending champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the Big Ten championship. Their success this season starts and ends with Fernando Mendoza. He came over from Cal and has jump-started the offense and is on the verge of winning the Heisman Trophy.
When speaking to the media before the ceremony on Saturday, Mendoza was asked what he would do with the trophy if he won, and he said he wanted to keep it in Bloomington. He said the fans deserve it after this season, and he would like it to stay with the Hoosiers after he leaves. He credited the fans a lot and thanked them for their support.
“I would want to keep the trophy in Bloomington because it belongs there,” Mendoza said. “That's what I think, as far as everything Hoosier Nation has done for me, if I have the honor and blessing of winning it.”
Mendoza said that he thinks the trophy would be a point of pride for his “teammates, the Hoosier community, and the alumni,” especially since he would be the first player from the program ever to win the award.
Before Mendoza, the last Indiana player to get invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony was running back Anthony Thompson in 1989, who barely lost to Houston quarterback Andre Ware.
It is also worth noting that Mendoza is only the seventh player in IU history to even finish in the top 10 of Heisman voting.
“I think it would mean so much for the fan base that has stuck through the thick and thin to now the [Curt] Cignetti era,” Mendoza said.
This season, Mendoza has 2,980 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns to only six interceptions on a 71.5% completion percentage. He has also accounted for 240 yards and six touchdowns on the ground on 69 carries. He was the first Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three straight games with at least four TD passes and no interceptions. He is also among the 10 FBS quarterbacks who have completed better than 70% of their passes.
The accolades are only going to continue for Mendoza, especially with the fact that he still has an opportunity to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
