Fernando Mendoza has been incredible for Indiana this year—that is no surprise. The Cal transfer won the Heisman Trophy and has the Hoosiers just six quarters from the first national championship in program history.
Mendoza is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, a pick owned by the Raiders—a team that can certainly use a franchise quarterback after Geno Smith’s disappointing ‘25 season. Mendoza’s major rival for the top pick is the quarterback on the other sideline at Friday’s Peach Bowl, Oregon’s Dante Moore (though Moore has not made a public decision on declaring for the draft or returning to college). It makes sense that Las Vegas fans are tuned in to see what the future of their franchise may look like, and Mendoza has them pretty psyched.
