Indiana junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza continues to see his stock rising week after week and the media is starting to take notice.
This morning on ESPN's College Gameday, college football analyst and hype man Pat McAfee talked and bragged about how well Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been playing this whole season.
"Fernando Mendoza is leading this Indiana offense that is an ABSOLUTE juggernaut "McAfee said on Gameday
He also stated "When you talk about being an absolute perfect fit for a system, he was a perfect fit coming in for Cignetti and the IU offense"
McAfee noted that his mental make up and accuracy set him apart from the rest of the top quarterbacks in the nation this season so far. Pat Mac also said "Mendoza has made them even better than last year's 11-2 team led by 2025 sixth round Kurtis Rourke".
Mendoza has not only worked himself into being the Heisman favorite but he will be the No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, he's smart he can spin it, I love what he's doing down there in Bloomington"
Fernando Mendoza is damn near flawless..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 27, 2025
He's the perfect Quarterback for Cignetti and this Indiana team #CollegeGameDay https://t.co/N91xkJlDfl pic.twitter.com/nxM2EQrYgC
Mendoza is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy according to FanDuel, following the Hoosiers’ blowout win over Illinois and an injury to Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
He currently ranks 11th in QBR at 84.4 and has thrown for 975 yards, 14 touchdowns, and no interceptions, including two rushing scores. His completion percentage of 76.8% ranks second nationally, as does his 206.2 efficiency rating.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is pleased with Mendoza’s progress throughout this season:
“I thought he took a major step forward last week and again this week,” Cignetti said after the Illinois game. “And really had a lot of confidence in him going into the game. I think his progress has really accelerated the last couple weeks. And I thought he was right on target.”
Pat McAfee played for West Virginia from 2005–08, he was a seventh round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, with the 222nd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts. He played from 2009 to 2016 and went on to have a successful NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, earning two Pro Bowl selections.
Pat McAfee will be inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday after College Gameday.
No.11 Indiana Hoosiers are set to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road at 3:30pm E.T in Iowa City as they look to improve to 5-0, Mendoza is the player to watvh today versus a stout Hawkeyes defense at Kinnick Stadium.