Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft class since mid-last season, as he led the Hoosiers to an unbeaten Big Ten and national championship title double. Mendoza swept all individual accolades, including winning the prestigious Heisman Trophy in a stunning season for the Hoosiers.
Fernando Mendoza Puts on a Show at Indiana Pro Day
In a draft class notoriously light on quarterback talent, Mendoza is widely recognized as the only A-list prospect at his position, and the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to use their No. 1 pick on him. Mendoza skipped the on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February and instead opted to showcase his skills during Indiana’s well-attended Pro Day on Wednesday.
After his workout on Wednesday, Jeff Howe, an NFL insider for “The Athletic,” revealed on X that Mendoza impressed the NFL staffers and executives watching, including Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak.
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“Fernando Mendoza had an impressively clean throwing session, completing 53 of 56 passes with two drops. He threw 56 passes in 20 minutes with two very quick breaks. Really impressive workout,” Howe tweeted.
Mendoza has not hidden his admiration for Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, and the NFL franchise has shown the same level of interest in his services, sending quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko to Bloomington to watch his Pro Day performance.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah revealed that Mendoza was working with former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese to learn the Raiders’ offensive structure ahead of draft night.
“Fernando Mendoza is working with Brian Griese right now, and it’s not so much that they’re working on footwork,” Jeremiah said. “They’re installing the Raiders’ offense. He’s full speed ahead.
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“This is the same thing that happened with [Joe] Burrow, where you can use this time to really try and learn the core verbiage and concepts along with an offense. I’d be shocked, stunned and astonished if he’s not the first overall pick. I don’t see that going any other direction.”
Mendoza proved his immense talent last season after joining Indiana from the California Golden Bears via the transfer portal. He registered 3,535 passing yards, resulting in 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to earn an impressive PFSN College QB Impact score of 93.3.
