Indiana Hoosier junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza has become one of college football’s breakout stars this season he's the current favorite, yes the top contender for the Heisman Trophy and one of the leading quarterback prospects for the upcoming NFL draft.
A lot of Indiana fans and media thought losing Kurtis Rourke who finished 8th on the Heisman ballot who be hard to replace but no disrepect to Rourke but Mendoza has been an upgrade since day one since stepping on campus. Indiana is expected to be double-digit favorites in every remaining game, meaning he has positioned himself to win the Heisman in 2025. In his last game against the UCLA Bruins, Mendoza threw three touchdown passes and added another on the ground in a 56–6 rout over them his next matchup will be against the 4-3 Maryland Terrapins.
Currently Mendoza leads the country in passing touchdowns with 24, has nearly 2,000 passing yards, (1,924), only three interceptions and has a completion rate of 73.4 % which is top five in the nation.
He has had four games of over 10 yards per pass attempt, with three coming in Big Ten play and also has had four games with at least four touchdowns.
In 2024, at California before transferring to IU, he completed 68.7 % of his throws for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions.
ESPN’s Greg McElroy, who on Sunday’s Always College Football talked aboutMendoza at the top of his Heisman rankings on his last podcast episode
I still think right now Fernando Mendoza might be in the driver’s seat,” he said. “According to the odds market, he is the leader. He’s got +250 right now. He goes and engineers a blowout victory at the hands of UCLA. Didn’t have a gaudy stat line by any stretch, but he’s currently leading the country with 24 touchdown passes. And when you watch him, he’s been outstanding.”
The 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony will take place Saturday, Dec. 13 from the Lincoln Center in New York City, New York and will air on ABC the first time the Heisman will be awarded on network television since 1993 as it was previously aired on ESPN.