1 of 5 | Former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks to reporters during a news conference at the 2026 NFL scouting combine Friday at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Photo by Alex Butler/UPI
Fernando Mendoza finished college draped in perfection, but the top NFL Draft prospect said failing and a “terrible” self-evaluation enabled his rise.
Mendoza spoke about his ascension to the likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft class during his scouting combine news conference Friday in Indianapolis. The former Indiana quarterback called the session the “most important job interview of my life.”
“Right now, I’m just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed on April 23,” Mendoza said, referencing the first day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 22-year-old wasn’t always as locked in as a precious gem behind polycarbonate when it comes to his outlook of being a top pick. He looks at his journey, from an under-recruited high schooler and college transfer to a Heisman winning potential NFL franchise cornerstone, as priceless.
Like a diamond, pressure and heat molded Mendoza. He credits teammates, coaches and those who believed in him as his miner and says self-discipline and presence were vital for growth.
“All the national quarterback rankings, I think I was the 134th quarterback coming out of my own class in high school,” Mendoza said.
“I was raw. That was a true ranking. … I was terrible. It’s all about the small wins everyday. It’s all about discipline.”
Mendoza also looked back on 2023 and 2024, his last season at Cal and first season a Indiana, when he suffered several close losses. He said those experiences were invaluable in the Hoosiers’ historic 16-0 campaign.
“My first two years, out of the 18 games I played, a lot of them were one-score games,” Mendoza said. “Whether it was 49-50 to USC and Caleb Williams two years ago. Whether it was 38-39 to Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes the past year.
“I believe a lot of that experience of failing, coming up short, helped me in this new run with Indiana. Whenever we’ve gotten behind and dug ourselves in a hole, with Penn State, with Oregon, with Iowa, to be able to learn from those failures and make them into successes and be able to help my teammates.”
It’s gridiron poetry to ponder a potential Mendoza marriage to the Las Vegas Raiders, who own the No. 1 overall pick. With Tom Brady, famously the No. 199 overall selection in 2000, as a Raiders owner, the Mendoza journey could continue with a perfect mentor.
Mendoza said he recently spoke with Brady during his formal interview with the Raiders.
“To be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him would mean so much, especially to learn,” Mendoza said. “I’m all about learning. So from Day 1, I’ve got to learn a lot. It’s going to be a long journey. To have, potentially, a mentor like that, would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.”
The Raiders’ coaching staff went to work with Mendoza, drawing up plays and teaching him concepts during the meeting. If he lands in Las Vegas, he’ll be looked at to turn around a franchise with a playoff win drought of nearly a quarter of a century.
But he isn’t concerned about the Raiders’ recent struggles because of the parity of the NFL.
“We see how the NFL turns around so much,” Mendoza said. “The margins are so small. There are so many games decided by so few points. The difference between a losing record and a winning record is a couple drives, a couple key plays.
“So, whatever team I’m on, I’m just gonna take that advice, take the coaching from the coaching staff and however I can best serve my teammates on that team, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
Mendoza, who announced his declaration for the draft on LinkedIn, already drew a blueprint for how he plans to lead.
“I believe with an NFL franchise, to lead it you need equity,” Mendoza said. “You need two things to build equity. One, you need to play well. That’s where all my focus goes, football, football, football. If you want to lead, first you’ve got to play well.
“Second, its having the respect of your teammates. Through work ethic, through your leadership, through your tenacity and the way you respond to mistakes, those are all things I’m looking to work on.”
NCAA: Indiana Hoosiers defeat Miami Hurricanes for 1st national title
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza raises the winners trophy after the Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the NCAA College Football Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on January 19, 2026. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
