Indiana
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.
Buy IU championship books, newspapers
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.