Fernando Mendoza has been the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft for some time and he took care of some housekeeping that will help make that happen on Friday morning.
Mendoza officially announced that he will be entering the draft. The Instagram post sharing that decision comes days after Mendoza led Indiana to the college football championship.
Mendoza was 16-of-27 for 186 yards against Miami and he created the lasting highlight of the game with a 12-yard run through the Hurricanes defense that he capped by going airborne for a touchdown. Mendoza, who won the Heisman in 2025, finished his only season as a Hoosier by going 273-of-379 for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Raiders hold the top pick in the draft and their next order of business is selecting the coach who will be charged with developing Mendoza into a star at the NFL level as well.
