As the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner is set to be announced on Saturday, one of the top candidates touted to win this prestigious award continues to be Indiana Hoosiers’ star quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Fernando’s historic 2025 CFB season has seen him throwing for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns against only six interceptions, with these numbers also earning him 32 of 51 first-place votes for AP Player of the Year honors.
“No other player has a resume like Fernando Mendoza, and candidly, it’s not even close. Anybody that argues differently is wrong.”
Did Fernando Mendoza seal his case to win the Heisman? @joelklatt shares his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/mULTyNqdBj
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) December 9, 2025
The Hoosiers’ first-ever 13-0 record and Big Ten championship come on the backdrop of Fernando Mendoza’s transfer to the Indiana-based program back in December 2024. Before joining the Hoosiers, he redshirted at California in 2022.
Currently, Fernando is not the only Mendoza on the Hoosiers’ roster, with his younger brother Alberto continuing to be his backup at Indiana. Let’s take a closer look into Fernando Mendoza’s brother and their on-and-off-field relationship ahead of the 2025 Heisman winner announcement.
The redshirt freshman serves as a backup quarterback for the Hoosiers, and just like his older brother, Alberto went through the Columbus program before landing at Indiana as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2024.
How Has Alberto Mendoza Performed This Season?
Alberto has also completed a total of 18 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns in limited action this season.
When Fernando was weighing his transfer options after his time at California, Alberto had already committed to Indiana, which likely influenced Fernando’s move to the Hoosiers.
“I think having my little brother there, who’s my best friend and the person who pushes me the hardest, it was great to have that. To see his perspective on the coaching staff, the culture” Fernando stated post his transfer to Indiana in 2024.
The brothers are often seen celebrating each other’s success on the field. One such instance saw the Mendoza brothers do a celebratory chest bump during Indiana’s 56-9 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls earlier this season.
The heartfelt movement comes after Alberto completed his first career touchdown pass.
Fernando Mendoza 🤗 Alberto Mendoza
You better believe @IndianaFootball‘s QB1 was pumped to celebrate his younger brother’s first career TD pass. pic.twitter.com/VCTBD6CrZd
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 6, 2025
Alberto’s contribution to the Hoosiers is more than what some people make it seem, as Hoosiers have completed a total of 52 hand-offs across 85 games in the presence of Alberto.
Also Read:
- Fox Sports Analyst Delivers Blow to Diego Pavia’s Heisman Hopes After Fernando Mendoza’s Clutch Play vs. Ohio State
- Who Are Fernando Mendoza’s Parents? Inside the Family Life of the 2025 Heisman Trophy Candidate
- 2025 Heisman Trophy Finalists Statistical Comparison: H2H Comparison of Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, Jeremiyah Love, and Diego Pavia
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