Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #15 PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/04/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.85 seconds (45%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #15 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Mobile Pocket Passer | |
| Last Updated: 03/04/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.85 seconds (45%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 90.0 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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86% |
| Short Passing: |
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84% |
| Medium Passing: |
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93% |
| Long Passing: |
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95% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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73% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Top 5
Overall Rank:
#4
Position rank:
#1 (QB)
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| College Games: 35 College Snaps: 2204 | ||
247 RATING: 80/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.2 (85%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mac Jones - Alabama |
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72% |
| Jaxson Dart - Ole Miss |
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71% |
| Drake Maye - North Carolina |
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68% |
Drafted: ROUND: 1 - Pick Number: 1 (LV)
Draft Profile: Bio
Fernando Mendoza was a lightly recruited quarterback out of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami who originally committed to Yale before flipping to California. He redshirted his first year at Cal, took over midway through his redshirt freshman season with 1,708 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across eight starts, then improved as a sophomore to 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns with a completion rate that made him Cal's all-time leader in that category.When Curt Cignetti came calling from Indiana, Mendoza followed his younger brother Alberto to Bloomington and produced one of the greatest single seasons in college football history. He completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns against six interceptions and accounted for 47 total touchdowns as Indiana went 16-0.
Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and Davey O'Brien Award. He set Rose Bowl records against Alabama, threw five touchdowns on 17-of-20 passing against Oregon in the semifinal, and scored on a fourth-down 12-yard run in the fourth quarter to seal a 27-21 championship win over Miami. He is Indiana's first Heisman winner and the first Big Ten quarterback to take the award since Troy Smith in 2006.
Honors & awards
- 2025 Davey O'Brien Award
- 2025 Heisman Memorial Trophy
- 2025 Maxwell Award
- 2025 Walter Camp Award
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Pre-snap processing is advanced; he identifies coverage shells and finds the soft spot quickly.
- Ball placement is a genuine strength, with touch on back-shoulder throws and anticipation into tight windows.
- Arm talent covers the full field: he can zip intermediate throws and push the ball vertically with real velocity.
- Operates the RPO game at a high level, reading defenders and making correct decisions consistently post-snap.
- Functional athlete who can execute designed runs, move on bootlegs, and pick up first downs with his legs.
- Tough in the pocket and willing to stand in against pressure to deliver on time.
- Protects the football at a high level: six interceptions on 379 attempts in 2025 is an exceptional ratio.
- Performed his best in the biggest games: Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, and Miami all in the same postseason run.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Indiana's system created easy completions, and the scheme question will follow him into the NFL.
- Eye manipulation needs development; he tends to lock onto his primary target rather than moving defenders.
- Footwork gets loose when flushed from the pocket, which affects accuracy on off-platform throws.
- Not a dynamic scrambler despite functional athleticism; extending plays outside structure remains inconsistent.
- The 2025 tape lacked improvisation compared to his Cal film, raising questions about creativity under NFL pressure.
Scouting Report: Summary
Mendoza is exactly what modern NFL offenses are looking for. Quick-game concepts, RPOs, timing routes, play-action shots down the field. He executes all of it at a high level. And while Indiana kept him mostly in the pocket, his Cal tape shows a more versatile player. He thrived in an RPO-based system with the Golden Bears, executing designed runs, throwing on the move from bootlegs and sprint outs, and extending plays with improvisation when needed.The processing speed is real. The accuracy is real. The arm talent is real. And the production against top competition is undeniable. This is not some guy who padded stats against MAC schools. He carved up Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, and Miami when the stakes were highest. That 12-yard touchdown run to ice the national championship? That is the kind of play that separates good quarterbacks from winners.
The athleticism concerns are fair but probably overblown. Not every franchise quarterback needs to be a running threat. Peyton Manning was not running zone-read. Tom Brady was not scrambling for first downs. Mendoza profiles as a classic pocket passer in the mold of a young Joe Flacco with better accuracy and faster processing. He needs a competent offensive line and a system that puts him in favorable situations, but show me a quarterback who does not need those things. The difference is Mendoza maximizes good situations better than almost anyone in this class.
Teams drafting him know exactly what they are getting. A polished passer who dissects coverages, finds the open man, and puts the ball where it needs to be with anticipation and accuracy. The Cal tape shows he can do more when asked, and his seven rushing touchdowns in 2025 prove he knows how to finish drives with his legs when needed. His floor is a competent starter who protects the football and manages games efficiently. His ceiling is a Super Bowl quarterback who masters the mental side of the position and makes his supporting cast look better than they are.
Fernando Mendoza percentiles vs other Quarterbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Fernando Mendoza (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
4.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
1.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.