Texas quarterback Arch Manning is getting the most preseason hype, but the first quarterback off the board in next year’s NFL Draft may reside in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Hoosiers pulled off perhaps the most impactful yet unheralded move of the offseason when it added Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback put together a stellar 2024 season for the Bears, throwing for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions, despite a porous offensive line that allowed the fifth-most sacks per game in college football.
In a creative offense led by Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, it’s not hard to imagine Mendoza taking another leap. In fact, he’s banking on it. Development was a big reason why he picked the Hoosiers over other options which included Georgia and Miami.
“To have an offensive-minded coaching staff was extremely important for me and to get that development was really important for me.” Mendoza told CBS Sports, “Because whenever I would talk to people — former coaches, mentors — they were like we really think you’re doing well but to take that next level and really get where you want to go aka the NFL, you really need to be a bit more polished and more consistent. That was a big thing I was looking to accomplish at Indiana.”
NFL draft experts are beginning to take notice of how Mendoza’s skillset mesh Indiana’s offense. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards recently ranked him as the No. 11 overall prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft while Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice wrote last month, “Mendoza’s talent, along with his high football IQ, in an offense that pushes all the right buttons in a smorgasbord scheme has the potential for fireworks.” Tice ranked him as the No. 1 QB…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/fernando-mendoza-laments-leaving-cal-but-development-at-indiana-could-rocket-qb-to-top-of-nfl-draft-boards/
Author : John Talty
Publish date : 2025-06-26 14:24:00
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