Widely projected to be the first player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s safe to assume Fernando Mendoza is very happy with his decision to sign with Indiana for the 2025 season.
A former high school afterthought who turned himself into an intriguing player at the University of California, Berkeley, few could foresee Mendoza becoming a Heisman Trophy winner, a future National Champion, or the most storied single-season passer in Hoosiers history, winning more games than any other Indiana quarterback over the course of a campaign.
One person who did believe in Mendoza’s upside, however, was Curt Cignetti, who secured the young passer’s services and transformed him into the player who will likely be drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders first overall.
Discussing his path from Christopher Columbus High School to Cal, Indiana, and soon the NFL in a piece with The Athletic, Mendoza revealed the Cignetti pitch that “sold” him on becoming a Hoosier and why he’s incredibly happy with the results.
“However, Coach Cignetti really sold me on, we’re going to develop you,” Mendoza said. The quarterback recalled Cignetti’s pitch: “‘I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t tell if we’re going to be top 25 in the nation, No. 1, or outside of that top 25. However, I know that I develop quarterbacks. It’s what I do.’
“With the help of Coach Whitmer, who’s been phenomenal, Coach (Mike) Shanahan, and Coach Cignetti, I’ve been able to develop into that quarterback, and made that exponential jump this year that I was aspiring to. I really am thankful that he sold me on developing Fernando as the quarterback. That’s one of the things that made me decide on this school. I want to be the best quarterback that I can control. It goes back to the concepts of controlling the controllables and staying in the present moment.”
While some detractors have been all-too-eager to point out that he isn’t an elite passer statistically, with 14 other quarterbacks throwing for more yards than Mendoza despite having a 16-game sample size thanks to the playoffs, he was able to command Indiana’s offense like no other, completing 72 percent of his passes to go with a 41-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Mendoza showcased a unique ability to lead his team to victory no matter the opponent and was awarded for it, winning the Heisman, Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, and AP College Football Player of the Year award thanks to his exceptional efforts, turning one of the historically worst programs in college football into National Champions. If that isn’t worthy of being a No. 1 overall pick, what is?
