Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza is on his way on securing another milestone for himself after achieving many in the 2025 season including winning the Heisman Trophy and getting his hands on the National Championship.
Mendoza is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and potentially go to the Las Vegas Raiders after they ended with an overall record of 3-14.
While the Raiders are bringing in massive names for the franchise for their coaching staff, the roster needs a lot of work, especially with star Defensive end Maxx Crosby potentially exiting the team soon as well.
“I don’t worry about Fernando Mendoza. I worry about the Raiders as his parent in this league,” veteran sportscaster Colin Cowherd said on The Herd. “Bad O-line. Even if Klint Kubiak’s a good coach, he’ll be, probably, the fourth-best coach in his division. Ownership is impulsive; it’s ridiculously impatient. I don’t have a Mendoza issue. I have a Mendoza to the Raiders issue.”
“There’s an NFL analyst who calls something ‘pressure‑to‑sack rate. How many negative plays do you have? How long do you hold the ball? If you look at last year in the NFL, who had a really high pressure‑to‑sack rate, it was Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders, and Cam Ward,” he added.
“He has Fernando Mendoza’s pressure‑to‑sack rate the same as Justin Fields. What have we said about Justin Fields? He doesn’t see the field very well. He holds the ball too long. Now, Justin Fields is hyper athletic, and he still has negative plays,” Cowherd continued.
Fernando Mendoza On Potentially Going to the Raiders
Fernando Mendoza was among the most loved players in the 2025 season. His thrilling performances and humble character drew many individuals’ attention throughout the season.
While many fans express their concerns with the Raiders franchise, Mendoza has humbly shared that he would be ecstatic if he got an opportunity to play for them.
The Indiana QB said he would feel blessed and honored to play for the Raiders and would feel blessed to play for any team.
Mendoza opened up about potentially crying on the draft day as it would be a full circle moment for him.
Recalling his motivation behind transferring to Indiana, Mendoza shared after receiving the Davey O’Brian award on Monday:
“It wasn’t to be a great college player. It was to try to develop into being an NFL quarterback one day.”
Mendoza ended the 2025 season with 3,535 yards and 41 passing touchdowns.
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