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Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza is setting his sights on the 2026 NFL Draft, a significant milestone in his burgeoning football career.
On Friday, January 23, Mendoza announced his decision via Instagram, sharing a video with the caption, “Let’s get to work. I’m humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”
The video montage showcased Mendoza’s standout performances from his record-breaking season with the Indiana Hoosiers. In a personal message, he opened up about his journey and future aspirations.
“Choosing Indiana was a leap of faith. It was a leap that led me and my teammates to a perfect 16-0 season and a National Championship, and now it brings me to this exciting moment where I can dream even bigger,” he expressed. “I owe this to my family, my teammates who challenged me, and the coaches who believed in me. It’s only with their support and the grace of God that I stand here today.”
Mendoza has not only captured attention for his exceptional on-field achievements but also for his off-field endeavors. At 22, he led the Hoosiers to a historic 2025 season, securing the school’s first Big Ten Championship since 1967, while also dedicating time to community service and outreach efforts.
Mendoza poked fun at his LinkedIn profile becoming a viral sensation over the past football season and told followers that he’s now “open to work” and is “officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”
During a Friday morning appearance on Good Morning America, Mendoza said that he’d be “grateful” to get drafted by any team while also addressing those ongoing rumors that he’ll be a first round draft pick and sign with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“It would be a dream come true,” Mendoza said when asked what it would mean to play professional football, especially for a team that is coowned by NFL legend Tom Brady.
After playing football at the University of California, Berkeley from 2022 to 2024, Mendoza entered the NCAA transfer portal and brought his football prowess to Bloomington, Indiana. By 2025, he was the team’s starting quarterback, leading the Hoosiers to a historic undefeated season. (The Hoosiers beat the University of Miami Hurricanes 27-21 on Monday, January 19, winning their first-ever National Championship. Brady was notably in attendance.)
Mendoza admitted that bringing Indiana to its first National Championship has “slowly” started sinking in.
“As very low recruits and as the misfits of Indiana, we never expected to win a National Championship,” he explained. “Having that belief in ourselves and finally winning it, we made sure to party hard after and celebrate accordingly.”
IU’s football program was historically one of the worst in the nation, before Coach Curt Cignetti stepped on campus in 2024 and completely overhauled the program.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has taken the Indiana University football team to new heights — but the athlete couldn’t have done it without his supportive family by his side. “My lifelong teammate, Alberto, my brother, my closest confidant. The one I trust more than anybody to get through a tough day, tough […]
Mendoza’s 2026 Draft announcement came hours after he made a special appearance on the Thursday, January 22, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The athlete showed off his throwing arm to break several vinyl records to show off that “record-breaking” throw.
Of course, Mendoza also spoke about Monday’s win — and his incredible fourth quarter touchdown which assisted the team with their win.
“We finally got our coach, Cignetti, to smile, which was the biggest accomplishment,” Mendoza joked, poking fun at the coach, whose facial expressions went viral throughout the season. “But for real, Indiana has predominantly been a basketball [school] and football has been in purgatory for the longest time.”
He added, “Our team with Coach Cignetti and a whole bunch of underrecruited guys — guys that have been doubted their entire lives — now finally marked as national champions. It means the world to all of us.”