Fernando Mendoza finds himself in an interesting spot. His future hangs in a fascinating balance as he weighs the allure of the NFL against the monetary gains of staying in college a little longer. His growth and rising profile make the jump a tempting prospect.
However, college football is now different, offering opportunities to earn a substantial amount.
NFL’s Expectations About Fernando Mendoza Getting Clear
Pete Thamel announced the latest on Mendoza’s future on his X handle. The ESPN insider revealed how there was a sense of confidence in the NFL that Mendoza would announce for the draft this year. The Indiana QB still has one more year of eligibility left after this season.
“The widespread expectation in the NFL is that Fernando Mendoza is going to go pro after this season. He’s just won the Heisman,” Thamel said. He also quickly informed who Curt Cignetti’s Indiana would pursue as Mendoza’s replacement.
“To replace him, I have been told Indiana is expected to target Josh Hoover, the former TCU quarterback. Hoover was initially a commit to Indiana out of high school.”
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Who will Indiana target at QB?? pic.twitter.com/f8nq7tHQj7— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2026
Thamel also named Louisville and Kentucky as a likely destination for Hoover. Will Stein has taken over the reins at Kentucky, who recently was an OC at Oregon. Stein’s connection with Dante Moore and his past experience in developing elite quarterbacks, such as Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, adds to Kentucky’s appeal.
Whereas Jeff Brohm’s Louisville employs a versatile, pro-style system that stretches the defenses horizontally with motion and a mix of quick passes. But PFSN’s College Offense Impact (OFFi) ranked them 50th in the nation with a score of 78.1.
MORE: Fernando Mendoza vs. Dante Moore: Comparing the Top 2 QBs in the 2026 NFL Draft
However, Indiana might be the most lucrative destination as Mendoza was a transfer QB from Cal, and Hoover could follow a similar trajectory.
Meanwhile, Mendoza has been linked to the Giants, Browns, Jets, and Raiders. Nick Saban best explains the reason on ESPN College GameDay. He said, “He’s best [in] a gotta-have-it moment, whether it’s Penn State, I mean, 56% third-down conversion, 127 explosive plays this year? This guy makes the plays when they need them.”
Interestingly, PFSN’s analyst Ian Cummings predicts that the Browns will trade up in his latest mock draft and sees Cleveland finally resolving its quarterback crisis. But nothing is set in stone, as Mendoza is still focused on his college football playoff campaign with Indiana.
