Indiana

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL draft; what it means

Published

2 months ago

January 23, 2026

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Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL draft; what it means

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday morning.

He made the announcement with a video on his Instagram account.

“Coming to Indiana was a leap of faith, a leap that led me to go 16-0 with my boys and a national championship,” Mendoza said. “And has now led me here, the moment where I get to dream bigger. Thank you to my family, the teammates that pushed me, the coaches that took a chance on me, it’s only with your support and the glory of God that I’m here today. With trust in my foundation and gratitude for every person that has helped me reach this moment. I’m ready to take the next step.”

“My LinkedIn status is now, open to work, and I’m officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”

Mendoza spent just 12 months on IU’s campus, but he built a lasting legacy while wearing the crimson and cream. His dive across the goal line on fourth down in the CFP title game was one of the all-time great moments in school history.

It was just the latest clutch play he made in a season full of them while leading the Hoosiers to a perfect season.

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The ones he made leading up to Indiana’s 27-21 win over Miami helped him become the school’s first Heisman winner. He won the award in a landslide by beating out Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin for the honor.

Mendoza also won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award and earned top honors in the Big Ten (Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year).

He finished the season with 3,535 passing yards and 48 touchdowns with 41 of them coming through the air. He came close to setting single season records in all three categories, but fell short of Nate Sudfeld’s 3,573 yards.

That success catapulted him to the top of draft boards and made Friday’s announcement all but a formality. The Hoosiers already lined up his replacement by landing former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover out of the transfer portal.

Hoover will have big shoes to fill with Mendoza proving just as popular off the field in Bloomington as he was on it.

He was a very public presence, from dining out in the city on a weekly basis to partnering with local establishments to raise funds for the MS Society. The cause was a personal one for Mendoza with his mother, Elsa, battling the disease.

She inspired the positive outlook that he displayed in his interviews throughout the season that regularly went viral.

“Fernando never ceases to amaze me, he’s so deep, he’s so intelligent, he’s such a good and caring, giving person,” Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said earlier this season. “He’ll be a huge success in anything he decides to do one day when football ends. He’s just a special, unique person. And it’s all real.”

What were Indiana football QB Fernando Mendoza stats in 2025?

Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns to six interceptions while completing 72% of his pass attempts. He finished the season with the highest quarterback rating (182.9) in the country.

According to Pro Football Focus, he completed 29 passes of 20-yards or more through the air for 955 yards with 11 touchdowns.

Who will start at quarterback for Indiana football in 2026?

Barring something unforeseen, Hoover will be QB1. There was room for a little intrigue if Alberto Mendoza stuck around, but he entered the transfer portal on Tuesday morning and has since signed with Georgia Tech. His departure will likely force IU to search the transfer portal to land a backup with experience.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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Indiana

Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

Published

10 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Greg Casar, D-Texas, say the bill would protect taxpayers from being extorted by team owners for huge subsidies. The legislation would likely face an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled Congress.

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Indiana

Record warmth followed by strong storms tonight | March 26, 2026

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – Strong thunderstorms likely later this evening with all severe weather threats possible. It is going to be warm and windy with record highs today. Much cooler air works into Indiana for the end of the week.

TODAY: Partly cloudy conditions later this afternoon with warm and breezy conditions. It is going to be a beautiful and summer-like day across parts of Indiana. We will look for high temperatures to climb into the lower eighties which will set a new daily high record. The record for today is 80 set back in 1907. Winds will be gusty out of the southwest near 20 to 30 mph.

TONIGHT: A cold front approaches the state bringing a really good chance of strong to severe thunderstorms. A few thunderstorms may develop out ahead of the main line and some of those thunderstorms could contain some large hail along with a tornado risk as well. We are under a level 3 risk of strong storms out of a level 5. So there is confidence that a lot of these storms could reach severe criteria. Threats would be damaging winds and large hail. The tornado risk is low across parts of Indianapolis but it is not zero. A slightly higher risk of tornadic activity is possible in northern sections of Indiana.

Heavy rainfall could also lead to some flooding in parts of the state. Areas may see anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of rainfall.

Best timing on the thunderstorm activity will be anytime after 8:00 p.m. and lasting until Friday morning around 4.

TOMORROW: A few early morning rain showers will be possible on Friday. The main weather story is that it will be much cooler. High temperatures will climb around 49 which is below our normal high of 56. Winds switch direction out of the northeast and it will be a bit breezy at times as well. Low temperatures late Friday night into Saturday morning will drop into the upper twenties.

7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: A chilly start early Saturday morning but we will see lots of sunshine for the afternoon. High temperatures will climb around 52 for the afternoon.

Cloud cover returns on Sunday but it will be dry for the most part. Look for high temperatures to climb into the lower 60s.

Warmer next week with temperatures reaching the low and even middle and upper 70s by the middle part of the week. A dry start on Monday with some scattered showers possible on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Indiana

IU national championship picture displayed at IND airport

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

IU national championship picture displayed at IND airport

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana University is making sure all the visitors in town for the Final Four don’t forget who won the football national championship.

A photo of former IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Charlie Becker is displayed at the Indianapolis International Airport when visitors arrive and go to baggage claim.

IU football won its first national championship in program history in the 2025 season, defeating Miami in the national championship game. The Hoosiers completed the season with an undefeated, 16-0 record.

Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first IU player to win the prestigious award.

Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns last season. He is projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Becker had 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns last season.

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