Fernando Mendoza made history last week by becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With his top overall selection by the Las Vegas Raiders, Mendoza became just the fourth quarterback to ever win the Heisman Trophy, win a National Championship, and become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in the same year. He joins Angelo Bertelli (1943-44), Cam Newton (2010-11), and Joe Burrow (2019-20) in that exclusive club.
He also became the second No. 1 overall pick in Indiana football history, and the first in nearly 90 years. IU's only previous No. 1 selection came back in 1938 when Richard Corbett "Corby" Davis was the No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Rams.
Mendoza heads to Vegas with plenty of hype, and figures to have a solid chance of being the Raiders' Week 1 starting quarterback. Known for his pin-point accuracy, elite football IQ, and NFL-ready frame at 6'5" 230 pounds, Mendoza has a good chance to make an immediate impact at the next level.
But oddsmakers aren't ready to hand him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award just yet.
Fernando Mendoza trails Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love in early Rookie of the Year odds
With odds of +350 on DraftKings Sportsbook, Mendoza currently has the second-shortest odds to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Hoosier fans aren't pleased to see Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love as the current favorite with odds of +250. Love was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals, and like Mendoza, figures to be given every opportunity to put together a solid rookie campaign.
Following Love and Mendoza, other rookies in the hunt for Rookie of the Year include Carnell Tate (+500), Jordyn Tyson (+600), Jadarian Price (+750), and Makai Lemon (+950).
One of Mendoza's favorite targets is also looking to make some noise in his rookie campaign. The Jets selected Omar Cooper Jr. with the 30th overall pick, giving Indiana its first pair of teammates to be drafted in the first round of the same NFL Draft. Cooper is eighth on the Rookie of the Year odds board with odds of +1800.
Betting odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Add us as a preferred source on Google