Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a legendary stint with the Hoosiers, winning the Heisman trophy and leading the Hoosiers to their first national championship victory in franchise history. However, Mendoza was extremely close to being a Georgia Bulldog, according to a recent interview he had with The Ticket.
“I think there was one time even where I was about to call Kirby to commit to Georgia and the call didn’t go through,” said Mendoza. “And I thought, ‘Alright, let me sleep on it tonight.’ I really believed God helped me with that.”
Georgia was in transition at quarterback during the 2025 offseason. Incumbent starter Carson Beck transferred to the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 10, 2025, and the team was deciding whether to start Gunner Stockton or sign a transfer out of the portal. They were pursuing a couple of quarterbacks, especially Fernando Mendoza, who showed some legit upside coming out of the California Golden Bears.
Mendoza ended up committing to Indiana, and it revitalized his career. He won the Heisman, led the Hoosiers to the national championship, and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He actually beat former Georgia starter Carson Beck in the national championship too, showing just how close Georgia was to acquiring a championship-level quarterback.
Still, Bulldogs fans aren’t stressing out about their quarterback play. Gunner Stockton had a really good season last year, finishing seventh in Heisman voting and leading the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record and SEC title.
The questions surrounding Georgia are in Stockton’s supporting cast entering 2026. They lost wide receivers Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, and Dillon Bell, but they’re bringing back London Humphreys and landed transfer Isiah Canion from Georgia Tech. The two-headed monster of Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens remains intact in the backfield, and sophomore Bo Walker and Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell will take carries too.
The tight end room is still mostly intact, minus 2026 NFL draft declaree Oscar Delp, and the offensive line room has a few returners and emerging underclassmen, although they lost left tackle Monroe Freeling III and guard Micah Morris.
Gunner Stockton’s 2025 Stats
- 2,894 passing yards
- 35 total touchdowns
- Five interceptions
- 84.9 QBR (6th in nation)
Fernando Mendoza’s 2025 Stats
- 3,535 passing yards
- 48 total touchdowns
- Six interceptions
- 90.3 QBR (1st in nation
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