The Indiana Hoosiers
capped the greatest story college football has ever told when they defeated Miami, 27-21, to win the program’s first national title back on Jan. 19.
A lot of that success was because of the phenomenal play from quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who became Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner. That level of play has him atop ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest draft projections despite a quiet QB class overall.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s edition of “First Take,” Kiper assessed Mendoza’s draft stock and why he has created a gap between himself and the rest of the QBs in the 2026 NFL draft.
Mel Kiper Jr. heaps praise on Fernando Mendoza
“Fernando Mendoza went for 41 sacks at Cal in 2024, dropped that number down dramatically, regular season was like 17, 18. What he needed to improve on, he did,” Kiper said. … “I understand he doesn’t have elite traits. I hate that term. … If you would say you hate a quarterback, nine times out of 10 you can always say you’re right. … I get the hate on quarterbacks, but realistically, in this draft, Fernando Mendoza I think is the best player in this draft, and certainly he’s distanced himself from every other quarterback including Ty Simpson.”
Kiper specifically touched on Mendoza’s ability to improve his processing down the field. Instead of just going with his first or second option, Mendoza waited until he could find an open target or even elected to use his legs when he needed to.
Highlighted by his gutsy fourth-down TD run in the CFP National Championship Game, Mendoza joined an exclusive list of Heisman Trophy winners to win the national title, capping off his collegiate career in style.
In a QB class far quieter than recent years, Simpson is the only other signal-caller on Kiper’s latest top-25 Big Board, further highlighting the advantage that Mendoza has ahead of them.
In his lone season at Indiana in 2025, Mendoza posted career-highs in completion percentage (72%), passing yards (3,535) and passing TDs (41). His 41 pass TDs and 90.3 QBR led the FBS, while his 276 rush yards and seven rushing TDs were also personal-bests.
With the Las Vegas Raiders holding down the No. 1 pick, there are plenty of weaknesses on the roster to target, including the offensive line and defense. Quarterback, however, is another position of need. In a class where few QBs are expected to go in the first round, that makes Mendoza even more likely to be selected with the first pick if that turns out to be the direction the Raiders want to go.
A lot can change between now and the draft, which begins on April 23. However, with the improvements that Mendoza made at Indiana and the performance he left out on the field, it would be a surprise if he is not the first player off the board.
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