Indiana transfer quarterback Alberto Mendoza announced Tuesday that he has signed with Georgia Tech.

Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, entered the NCAA transfer portal one day after the Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff championship victory over Miami and immediately visited and signed with the Yellow Jackets.

The 6-foot-2, 207-pound redshirt freshman threw for 286 yards on 75% passing, rushed for 190 yards and scored six total touchdowns with one interception in nine appearances this season. He’ll have three more years of eligibility at Georgia Tech.

Mendoza joins a Yellow Jackets program that must replace senior Haynes King, a 36-game starter and first-team All-ACC performer who accounted for 10,181 total yards and 91 touchdowns over his three seasons in Atlanta.

The younger Mendoza’s departure from Indiana at the end of the season was expected after the Hoosiers signed TCU transfer quarterback Josh Hoover, ESPN’s No. 6-ranked transfer quarterback, earlier this month.

Georgia Tech was still in the market for a starter after King’s top backup, Aaron Philo, opted to transfer to Florida. Mendoza will compete with redshirt sophomore Graham Knowles, redshirt freshman Grady Adamson and incoming freshman Cole Bergeron this offseason.

Indiana and Miami players have a Jan. 24 deadline to enter their names in the transfer portal now that their season has concluded with the Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory in the CFP title game Monday.

Alberto Mendoza did not appear in the season finale but did play 102 snaps on the year primarily in blowout wins during the Hoosiers’ 16-0 run, including nine snaps in the 38-3 victory over Alabama in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.

The majority of Georgia Bulldogs fans were cheering for the Indiana Hoosiers against the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship game. A big reason why many Georgia fans cheered for Indiana, aside from the Hoosiers being a team without much of a winning history, was because former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck transferred to Miami after the 2024 college football season.

In Beck’s sixth season of college football, he led Miami back to the national championship game. The Hurricanes kept the game close throughout the second half and got a forced an Indiana field goal attempt to get the ball back with less than two minutes left in the game.

Beck engineered Miami’s final drive past midfield after taking a major hit, which drew a roughing the passer penalty. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti called a timeout to slow Miami’s momentum. With a touchdown, Miami would, in all likelihood, be national champions. On the next play, Beck threw an interception to Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe to clinch the Hoosiers’ first national title in school history.

Indiana won the national championship 27-21 after a couple of kneel downs on the following plays. The Hoosiers, who led the nation in turnover margin, waited all night to force a Miami turnover, but it came at the most crucial time possible.

DALLAS, Ga. – A Georgia man is facing life in prison after he was convicted last week of rape, child molestation, and other gang-related offenses in connection with a 2021 case. 

What we know:

A judge sentenced Jaylen McCrary, 22, of Dallas on Jan. 15 to life imprisonment plus an additional 80 years following a four-day trial where a jury found McCrary guilty on all counts.

Paulding County deputies began an investigation in November 2021 when the victim reported McCrary had sexually assaulted her, state prosecutors said.

During the trial, the victim testified describing how the assault impacted her life and the trauma she continues to deal with. 

What they’re saying:

District Attorney Robert S. Lane reiterated that people who commit sexual assaults and crimes against children will be taken seriously in the county.

“This conviction and sentence make clear that in Paulding County, rapists and child molesters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Lane said. 

What we don’t know:

Prosecutors did not reveal how old the victim was when the assault took place. Although an investigation began in November 2021, it is unclear if that is when the assault occurred.