Fernando Mendoza made history in multiple ways earlier this month when he was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
He became Indiana's first No. 1 overall selection since Richard Corbett "Corby" Davis back in 1938, and became just the fourth quarterback in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy, win a National Championship, and become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in the same year.
Thus, Mendoza is set to begin his NFL career with plenty of hype. As Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby points out, some may have higher expectations or a different timeline for when Mendoza will have success in the NFL, but the consensus is that he will indeed succeed with the Silver and Black.
The general consensus surrounding Mendoza's NFL potential is positive, as the Heisman Trophy-winning QB is drawing comparisons to NFL legends such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. However, Mendoza still has a small minority of doubters out there.
One ACC coach is not sold on Fernando Mendoza's NFL potential
Following the NFL Draft, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg collected commentary and opinions from college football coaches across the country about the draft's biggest storylines and surprises. Not surprisingly, Mendoza was mentioned a lot.
Many of the coaches' comments were positive. One Big Ten coach stated that Mendoza is one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has ever seen. The coach supported his claim by pointing to Mendoza's lack of turnovers or ill-advised throws, as well as his mix of elite intelligence, football IQ, size, and movement.
However, one ACC coach who faced Mendoza when he was at Cal isn't as sold on his NFL potential.
"He's a good decision-maker, but I don't think he's got the NFL traits. They're all back-shoulder [throws]. That's not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off."Anonymous ACC coach
These comments are undoubtedly in the minority of the general opinion of Mendoza, and don't land with football fans after watching what Mendoza did this past season. It's just not a great look for this coach.
Plus, the coach went up against Mendoza during his time at Cal between 2023-24. Mendoza was a solid QB with the Golden Bears, but it wasn't until he got to Bloomington when he really started to take the college football world by storm. He took a massive leap from 2024 at Cal to 2025 with the Hoosiers, and he delivered memorable moment after memorable moment during Indiana's CFP run. He was at his best when it mattered most, which makes the comments from this coach even more peculiar.
This one coach isn't going to change the general opinions of Mendoza. He is highly-regarded as a tremendous prospect and there was little doubt that he would end up being the No. 1 pick. He has a lot of work to do to prove himself, but he hasn't given any reasons to be doubting him like this particular coach is.
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