The Hoosiers Quarterback’s Journey to IU and Path to the Heisman
It’s no secret that the Indiana Hoosiers have taken the college football world by storm since head coach Curt Cignetti joined the program last year, and led them to their first 10-win season in program history and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Part of the reason for the turnaround was the influx of transfers, mostly from James Madison, who really stepped up and helped put the Hoosiers on the map. As for Indiana’s 2025 campaign, the story remains the same, where Cig and the coaching staff relied on the transfer portal and were able to grab 19 new players. One of those players is former Cal QB Fernando Mendoza, who has so far turned many heads with his impressive start to the season. After spending his first two years under the helm of Justin Wilcox and finishing 6-7 in back-to-back years, Mendoza felt a change was necessary.
After losing QB Kurtis Rourke to the NFL Draft in April, coach Cig knew who to look for, and hit the nail on the head with Mendoza, as he has so far felt very comfortable in this Mike Shanahan-led offense. In just four games, Mendoza has 975 yards off 76 completions and 14 touchdowns with zero interceptions. Through Week Three, Mendoza had already looked dominant while playing against several G5 teams, but last week's rout against Illinois really got NFL scouts to pay significant attention, where the junior threw for 267 yards and five touchdowns, while going 21/23. Looking ahead to this week's matchup against Iowa, head coach Kirk Ferentz strongly believes Mendoza should be considered for the trophy. “I don’t have a Heisman vote, but I’d vote for him based on what I’ve seen,” said the longest tenured coach in college football.
Not only is Mendoza currently favored to win the Heisman, but he has also been mocked as a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft- that is, if he chooses to enlist. While many talking heads are high on Mendoza, there is still a lot of ball to be played, and anything can happen. As of Tuesday, September 23rd, Mendoza is currently favored at +900 odds and leads college football significantly after Oklahoma QB John Mateer was just ruled out for the next three weeks following surgery on his throwing hand. So while Heisman glory is great, it's clear there is one common goal for this Hoosier squad: getting back to the CFP and winning it all.
