Indiana football fans are still celebrating a historic 16–0 season and the program’s first national championship, but in college football, the offseason moves never stop. Just hours after the confetti settled, news broke that backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza, brother of championship-winning QB Fernando Mendoza, has officially entered the transfer portal.
The announcement, first reported by On3 Sports, is a reminder that even in the wake of a perfect season, roster changes are constant, college football doesn’t sleep, and no team can rest on last year’s success.
Alberto Mendoza Enters The Transfer Portal After Winning National Championship
While the transfer portal recently closed for most of college football, it remains open for players who participated in the College Football Playoff. This extension makes perfect sense. Asking a player to decide their future before fully experiencing a championship run would be unfair, especially for those who contributed to such a historic season for the Indiana program and college football.
NEW: Indiana QB Alberto Mendoza plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/U31NaOwnr0 pic.twitter.com/roFGk3Nt9P
— On3 (@On3) January 20, 2026
Alberto Mendoza’s move was somewhat expected, given the arrival of former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover via the transfer portal. Hoover is widely regarded as one of the top QB additions this cycle and is expected to compete for the starting role once held by Fernando Mendoza. Fernando, of course, is likely headed to the NFL as the consensus QB1 on the PFSN Big Board and a potential first-overall pick for the Raiders, who are in need of a quarterback.
Mendoza’s development trajectory likely played a role in Hoover’s decision to transfer to the Hoosiers. In 2024, Fernando posted a 77.6 PFSN QB impact grade, which skyrocketed to 93.3 in 2025 when he won the Heisman. That rapid growth illustrates the kind of environment he’s seeking, and Mendoza may have realized his opportunities behind Hoover would be limited.
Despite showing promise, Alberto Mendoza did not appear to be in Indiana’s long-term plans beyond Fernando’s tenure. Still, the young quarterback is far from lacking options. He already has a potential landing spot at Georgia Tech, which recently lost quarterbacks Haynes King and Aaron Philo. The ACC program’s offense ranked in the top 20 nationally in PFSN Offensive Impact Grade in 2025, posting an 84.1, an environment where Mendoza could compete immediately for playing time.
With three years of eligibility remaining and two seasons of development at Indiana under his belt, Alberto Mendoza enters the portal with significant upside. Other programs will no doubt take notice of his pedigree, his experience in a championship-caliber system, and his potential to grow into a starting quarterback role.
While Indiana celebrates another national title, Alberto Mendoza’s transfer is a reminder of how quickly college football landscapes can shift, but it also marks a new opportunity for a young quarterback ready to carve his own path.
