Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.

23 January 2026

The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion didn’t take long to announce his decision. Just days after downing Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Mendoza, who is widely believed to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, will leave college for the pros. Mendoza is a fourth-year prospect who got his start at Cal, before transferring to Indiana for the 2025 season. Under head coach Curt Cignetti, Mendoza showed tremendous improvement, throwing for career-highs across the board while finishing with a line of 3,535-41-6 through the air and leading the nation in yards per attempt (9.3) and touchdown passes. He’s a prototypical pocket passer standing at 6-foot-5, and weighing in at 225 pounds, but Mendoza also showed off the wheels at times, rushing for 76-377-7, per PFF, who does not account for rushing yards lost due to sacks. The Raiders, who currently hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, seem destined to take Mendoza come April in hopes of fixing the quarterback woes that have plagued them since Derek Carr left after the 2022 season.