Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft among fans and analysts since he led the Hoosiers to an unprecedented 16-0 season, which included both the Big Ten and national championships. In the process, Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy after establishing himself as the best QB in the country.
Fernando Mendoza Reveals Curt Cignetti’s Tough Coaching
Despite having a sensational season in Bloomington, Mendoza revealed during Monday’s segment of the “Rich Eisen Show” that coach Curt Cignetti did not pay him many compliments during Indiana’s historic season that involved several iconic plays by the quarterback.
“Coach Cignetti did not give me a lot of compliments throughout the year because he wanted to keep me humble,” Mendoza said. “He wanted to make sure I was always driving for greatness and striving to be the best teammate. I didn’t wanna let down my teammates, I wanted to be the best teammate and player I can become.
“However, in the Oregon game, he made sure to give me a compliment. I threw a pick-six and I needed the team to win the game. He made sure to keep me humble, which evidently worked because we were the first team to go 16-0. He said, ‘Are you having fun yet?’ And I went back to staying in the present moment and controlling the controllables.”
Mendoza announced himself on the national stage when he went 20-of-31 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a monumental 30-20 upset win over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene last season.
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Mendoza joined the Hoosiers from the California Golden Bears last year to replace Kurtis Rourke, who had headlined Cignetti’s first Indiana team that reached the College Football Playoff. As the Hoosiers swept aside all opponents, the hype around Mendoza grew as he headlined an offense that earned an impressive PFSN College Offense Impact score of 93.5.
PFSN NFL Draft Analyst Ian Cummings had this to say about Mendoza heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, “Mendoza is the favorite to be the first overall pick, after a 2025 season that saw him win the Heisman Trophy and lead his Indiana Hoosiers to a Big Ten title and National Championship. At 6’5″, 225 pounds, Mendoza has the ideal prototypical frame, along with quick feet, nimble pocket mobility, and understated creation capacity and off-script feel. He’s a crisp rotational thrower who always gives his WR a chance, and also flashes high-end situational precision and layering ability.”
The talented quarterback’s Heisman moment came on the road, when he led the Hoosiers down the field in a relentless comeback that culminated in a dime thrown to wide receiver Omar Cooper, to win 27-25 against the Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.
In his sole dominant season in Bloomington, Mendoza tallied 3,535 passing yards on 72% completion, resulting in 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 93.3, the second-best in college football after former Vanderbilt Commodores star Diego Pavia.
