Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy last season and led Indiana to its first-ever national title before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick for the Las Vegas Raiders. While he is preparing for his first NFL season, Mendoza also offered some pretty good advice for college athletes in the current NIL-dominant era.
Fernando Mendoza Encourages College Athletes to Keep Perspective in NIL-Dominated Era
Curt Cignetti and Indiana were seeking a proven successor to Kurtis Rourke, and they got Cal transfer Mendoza, who was a four-star transfer in the 2025 portal cycle. He chose the Hoosiers after taking visits to Georgia and Missouri, and he later admitted that he almost committed to Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, but Cignetti’s approach was hard.
When Mendoza was in Cignetti’s office, the QB revealed what the Indiana coach said: “Hey, you’re going to be the best quarterback in the Big Ten this upcoming season.”
Mendoza told On3 that Indiana did not even offer him the most money, but he saw a vision from Cignetti and the Hoosiers that ultimately led him to the school. He ultimately became Cignetti’s fifth different starting quarterback in the past five years, and the rest is history.
With NIL continuing to reshape college football and triggering some athletes to change commitments for larger financial packages, Mendoza encouraged recruits to prioritize long-term opportunities over immediate earnings.
“I believe that you need to put the opportunity before the check size,” Mendoza said via Zoom on behalf of State Farm. “That’s something that I stood by and something that I did in my transfer portal process. Indiana was not the highest bidder. However, I saw the greatest opportunity, and I believed in the coaching staff, believed in my teammates, and believed in the great culture there at Indiana.
“That was something that ended up paying off in the long-term, especially with the opportunity, being able to go there, a great system that fit me. Those were all things on my list, and I believe that money was around maybe the 5th variable or the 4th variable, I believe.”
Mendoza also said that while NIL is an important part of today’s college football, it should not be the primary or sole reason behind a player’s decision. He jokingly acknowledged that his perspective may differ from many current athletes, but said he hopes the system continues to evolve in a way that benefits players, universities, fans, and the overall health of college football.
Mendoza recently signed a four-year, $57.27 million contract with the Raiders, carrying an average annual salary of $14,317,650. He now enters training camp in a battle with veterans Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job.
