Fernando Mendoza made his debut as Indiana Hoosiers quarterback on Saturday after transferring over from California, and the hype surrounding him was palpable.
Mendoza has gained significant traction as a 2026 NFL Draft prospect in recent weeks, with Mike Renner of CBS Sports going as far to project him as the No. 1 overall pick next April.
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All eyes were on Mendoza during Indiana’s season opener against Old Dominion as a result, especially with the Hoosiers making serious progress in the Big Ten over the last year.
While Indiana came away with a 27-14 win, Mendoza put forth a rather uneven performance, going 18-for-31 with 193 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, although he did run for one while carrying the ball six times for 33 yards.
It honestly wasn’t a great 2025 debut for the junior. Yes, he made some great throws, but for the most part, he looked rather shaky. Chalk it up to jitters maybe, but it certainly wasn’t a great look for the rising prospect.
To be fair, Texas Longhorns phenom Arch Manning — widely viewed as the best talent to potentially join next year’s draft class — had a forgettable afternoon, as well. It’s unfair to judge a player based on one performance.
The difference, though, is that Manning was facing Ohio State. Mendoza was playing Old Dominion. Not quite the same.
Mendoza spent two years at California, most recently throwing for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 68.7 percent of his passes in 2024. And while he showed some flashes as a runner on Saturday, he totaled just 105 yards on the ground last year, logging 1.2 yards per carry.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound signal-caller can move, but he isn’t really a true dual threat. No one is going to confuse him for Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen in terms of athleticism. Heck, not even Daniel Jones.
In an ever-changing NFL landscape where quarterbacks who can regularly utilize their legs are becoming more and more prominent, you really do have to wonder if Mendoza genuinely has what it takes to become the top quarterback in his class. Particularly in what figures to be a loaded 2026 crop.
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There is still plenty of time for Mendoza to figure things out, but there is no doubt that his initial outing in Bloomington raised some eyebrows, and you could even go as far to say that it raised some red flags based on the recent projections.
We’ll see how well Mendoza responds when Indiana battles Kennesaw State next weekend.
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