The Las Vegas Raiders own this year’s No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, and the choice is as glaringly obvious as the Las Vegas Strip when landing at Harry Reid International Airport.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was already the overwhelming favorite to be the first prospect off the board once the April event begins, but his performance Monday in the College Football Playoff National Championship ensured no one else should even be under consideration.
Some likely watched Mendoza for the first time during the high-profile contest. They saw a heralded prospect have his “worst game” of the postseason, completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes and throwing for fewer than 200 yards. Those numbers don’t even come close to telling the entire story and how the traits Mendoza showed should make him successful in the NFL.
From an overall point of view, the sell is easy.
Mendoza is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He led the FBS with 41 passing touchdowns, compared to only six interceptions, and a 182.9 QB rating. The 6’5″, 225-pound quarterback has prototypical size and physical tools. Most importantly, his continued development after transferring to Indiana coincided with the program’s ascension to the pinnacle of college football. The Cal transfer helped complete the greatest turnaround ever after Indiana had the most losses in college football history, then not losing a single game during the program’s magical national championship run.
“Everyone thinks he’s super talented,” one NFL personnel executive told ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti in October. “He’s a big kid, he throws the ball really well. The ball comes off his hand like a legit NFL QB.”
An easy case can be made in Mendoza’s favor to become the top pick based on those things already mentioned, but the aspects to potentially make him an elite quarterback run far deeper.
“I don’t play football because of external factors,” the junior prospect told Uggetti. “I truly do love football. I would play football if I was a walk-on with no scholarship.”
The single-most impressive quality of Mendoza’s on-field acumen is his unflappable nature. Mistakes, adversity, and being hit by opposing defenses simply don’t faze him. He showed the ability to bounce back and make big plays when something didn’t go his or Indiana’s way.
Case in point: the Hoosiers struggled to move the ball consistently against Miami’s outstanding defense. Indiana’s impressive ground-and-pound attack wasn’t nearly as effective as it had been during previous weeks. In fact, the Hoosiers averaged 2.9 yards per game during the contest.
In the second half, the Hurricanes switched from off-coverage to a tighter press, which stymied Indiana for about a quarter. During the final frame, Mendoza completed four-of-seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The quarterback’s defining moments came during the Hoosiers’ final touchdown drive. He completed a back-shoulder pass to Charlie Becker on 4th-and-5 from Miami’s 37-yard line. Four plays later, Indiana’s coaching staff called a quarterback draw on 4th-and-4 from the Hurricanes’ 12 yard-line. The Heisman Trophy winner provided an unforgettable moment that will live on forever by following his blockers, bouncing off two would-be tacklers and driving into the end zone for the touchdown while being hit from behind by a Miami defender.
The score punctuated what really makes Mendoza stand out as a prospect, particularly when the NFL tends to chew up and spit out so many first-round draftees.
Mendoza is intelligent, tough, and genuine, to go along with having the requisite tools to be the long-term solution as a professional quarterback.
“He has a natural, strong understanding of how to play quarterback,” B/R scout Dame Parson wrote. “Mendoza dissects defenses quickly and efficiently from the pocket. The speed of his mental process, paired with his quick decision-making, will fit into most NFL offensive concepts/structures.
Parson added, “The former Cal signal caller is tough inside the pocket. He does not shy away from standing firm in the pocket against zero-pressure looks and delivering strikes with a free runner in his face. Mendoza’s ability and willingness to make throws under heavy pressure are what we want from potential franchise quarterbacks at the next level.”
Now, go back and see how Mendoza fared against other opponents in similar moments.
Against the Iowa Hawkeyes in late September, Mendoza threw a fourth-quarter interception while the game remained tied. Iowa’s defense is always well-coached and tends to be rather stingy. During Indiana’s very next offensive series, the quarterback led the game-winning drive, culminating in a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.
Two weeks later, a similar scenario played out where Mendoza threw another fourth-quarter pick against the Oregon Ducks. Once again, he found Sarratt for what turned out to be the game-defining touchdown during Indiana’s next possession.
In a meeting, the Hoosiers probably should have lost to the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Davey O’Brien Award winner threw yet another fourth-quarter interception. This time, he needed a second series to complete the game-winning score to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the end zone. The quarterback snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
During the Big Ten Championship Game in a defensive battle against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the 22-year-old completed six of eight passes, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown to Sarratt, during the second half.
Mendoza answered the call every single time during the 2025 campaign because he’s built to handle late-game moments. Considering Tom Brady’s presence Monday at Hard Rock Stadium, the NFL’s G.O.A.T. had to recognize the importance of what he saw from the collegiate quarterback and how those qualities can change the entire direction of the Raiders organization.
“Fernando, I know he’s great in interviews and comes off as the All-American guy, but he has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said during the Hoosiers’ National Championship postgame press conference. “That guy competes like a warrior.”
The lights are never too bright for Mendoza, even if they’re beaming off the glamorous casinos found on the Las Vegas Strip.