The rhythm of the college football season is starting to settle in, and each week we see new names rise into the devy conversation. In Devy Deep Dive – Player of the Week, I spotlight one player whose performance deserves a closer look—breaking down what it means for his draft stock, devy value, and long-term outlook.
This week, that spotlight shifts to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who turned heads with a breakout performance that may signal his arrival as one of the more intriguing passers in the Big Ten.
Player Introduction & Context
Fernando Mendoza’s rise has been anything but conventional. Once a lightly recruited prospect with just a single FBS offer from Cal, he’s now positioning himself as a legitimate first-round candidate in the 2026 NFL Draft. After stepping into the starting role at Cal as a redshirt freshman, Mendoza threw for over 3,000 yards in 2024 and helped the Bears reach a bowl game in their first season as members of the ACC.
Following that breakout, Mendoza became one of the top names in the transfer portal. Georgia and Missouri came calling, but he ultimately chose Indiana, where he was handpicked by Curt Cignetti to replace Kurtis Rourke, the quarterback who led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 season and a College Football Playoff berth before heading to the NFL. At 6’5” and 225 pounds, Mendoza brought the size and production Indiana needed to keep momentum rolling.
So far, he’s exceeded expectations. Through four games, Mendoza has led Indiana to a 4-0 start and emerged as an early Heisman contender. His signature performance came in Week 4, when he torched No. 8 Illinois by completing 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns in a 63–10 rout. He now leads the nation with 14 passing touchdowns, ranks top-30 nationally with 975 passing yards, and has thrown at least four touchdowns in three straight games.
At Cal, Mendoza proved he could stand tall under pressure, even while taking a nation-high 41 sacks last season, and flashed the poise to deliver in big moments, from upsetting Auburn to engineering a 98-yard game-winning drive against Stanford. At Indiana, with better protection and more balance around him, that resilience is translating into production and wins.
In what’s shaping up to be a down 2026 QB class, Mendoza has elevated himself into the spotlight, and if his trajectory holds, he could climb even higher on devy and draft boards this fall.
Film Room – What the Tape Shows 🎥
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