The Indiana Hoosiers were college football’s Cinderella story in 2024. A historically awful program, Indiana set the program record with 11 wins (previous record was nine wins) and made the College Football Playoff. While the 1967 team went 9-2 with a Rose Bowl appearance and reached fourth in the AP Poll, last year’s team could be argued as the greatest Hoosier team in the program’s 138 seasons. In no time at all, Curt Cignetti has catapulted Indiana into the national conversation. This year, his squad enters the season ranked 20th. It’s just the fourth time Indiana has entered the season ranked and just the second time since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.
With Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke off to the NFL, the Indiana quarterback room will be led by another transfer. The new quarterback is gaining hype and is currently expected to be the highest-drafted Indiana quarterback in history. For reference, the high-water mark for that honor is pick 168, set by Babe Laufenberg in 1983. This year, Fernando Mendoza gets to don the crimson and cream.
Expectations Are Sky High For New Indiana Quarterback
Indiana has not been mentioned in the same thought as other top-end NFL talent often. Last year, the Hoosiers had two players drafted. In 2026, that number will almost certainly be higher. Mendoza is not only considered the top Indiana player eligible for the draft, but he’s also being hyped up as one of the top quarterbacks. NFLMockDraftDatabase collects data from mock drafts from all over the internet, and as of right now, Mendoza is the 11th overall player per consensus.
In a tandem segment on ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates raved about Mendoza. The six-foot-five, 225-pound quarterback was listed as the fifth-best quarterback in the class. “This kid is legit,” Yates said. “He makes a lot of cool throws. He makes a lot of very confident throws that I’m not sure other quarterbacks would even see.”
Kiper Jr. added, “What I liked about [Medoza] last year is what he was able to do when things were breaking down around him. The poise, the maturity, the accuracy, the arm strength…he could beat a defense on third-and-long situations with his legs.”
Both analysts listed him as the fifth-best quarterback (assuming Arch Manning returns to Texas), behind LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, and Sam Leavitt, just ahead of Garrett Nussmeier.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is the real deal.
+Ball explodes out of his hand
+throws from multiple arm slots
+brilliant/prompt post-snap digester
+excellent timer to get out and go
+plus-athlete to extend/create off-platformLots to love with the Cal transfer. This is a first… https://t.co/AhlPtgqKFr pic.twitter.com/Kkhet6fYw2
— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) April 29, 2025
Better Situation
Mendoza was impressive on a bad Cal team last year. In 11 games, he threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns while only turning it over six times. Now, he goes to an Indiana offense with better receivers, running backs, and a better offensive line.
When thinking back to his time at Cal, Yates put it bluntly, “He made a lot out of not a whole lot.” Last year, he was sacked 41 times. For reference, Rourke was sacked 20 times in 12 games. Nine of those sacks came against Ohio State and Michigan, so the Hoosier offensive line allowed 11 sacks in 11 games, including the CFP.
With Roman Hemby next to him in the backfield, defenses will have to respect the run. Last year, the Hoosiers averaged 165 yards per game on the ground behind Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton. This year, the Maryland transfer (2,276 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, 20 touchdowns last three years) and Kaelon Black (James Madison transfer in 2024) are set to take over. This tandem is better than a consistently hurt Jaydn Ott.
Indiana has an argument for one of the best receiver units in the Big Ten. It’s not on Ohio State’s level, but it is a solid second-tier group. Led by Elijah Sarratt (957 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024) and Omar Cooper Jr. (who led the Big Ten with 21.2 yards per reception), the Indiana quarterback will have an easier time.
Mendoza looks poised to break out in 2025. With a schedule without Ohio State and Michigan, the Hoosiers have two “gotta have it” games against Oregon and Penn State. Time will tell, but Indiana looks ready to repeat as CFP participants with an apparent upgrade at quarterback.
Main Image: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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