Fernando Mendoza enters 2026 NFL Draft as likely top pick

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is widely regarded as the top quarterback and likely No. 1 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, announced on Friday that he is entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Let’s get to work,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”

Mendoza, who led Indiana to the school’s first football national championship, finished with 3,535 passing yards (15th in college football) and was first in the nation with 41 touchdowns and a 90.3 QBR. He threw six interceptions all season.

The fast rise of Fernando Mendoza (and his NFL Draft stock)

A 3-star quarterback out of high school, Mendoza spent two years at Cal before transferring this past season to join the Hoosiers.

His status as top quarterback in the draft class came about after he was an afterthought to start the 2025 college football season.

Texas’ Arch Manning, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Penn State’s Drew Allar, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier entered the season as potential first-round options, but all respectively saw their stocks sour.

Mendoza, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson took advantage to become options atop a weak quarterback class, but Moore opted to return to school, further watering it down for quarterback-needy teams behind the Raiders, including the New York Jets (No. 2 pick) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 3).

Mendoza’s College Football Playoff run more than bolstered his status as the top quarterback.

He threw more touchdown passes (eight) than incompletions (five) in Indiana’s first two CFP victories — lopsided wins over Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal and Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal. His statistics weren’t quite as impressive in Monday’s 27-21 championship game victory over Miami, but he showed plenty of poise and guile while returning to his hometown.

Mendoza delivered the signature moment of this playoff with his 12-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-4 play to extend Indiana’s lead to 24-14 in the fourth quarter.

He also avoided any turnovers while getting harassed all night by Miami’s superstar defensive line duo of Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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