The Indiana Hoosiers took the college football world by storm last season by orchestrating a perfect 16-0 season en route to winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. Two players who led the way were QB Fernando Mendoza and RB Roman Hemby.
Mendoza was the headliner, as he threw for 3,535 yards and accounted for 48 total touchdown in his Heisman Trophy-winning season. Hemby was Indiana's leading rusher, racking up 1,120 yards and 4.9 yards per carry to go along with seven touchdowns.
Together, they were one of the top QB/RB duos in all of college football. Now they are teaming up again in the NFL.
Roman Hemby joins Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas by signing with Raiders as UDFA
It was pretty surprising to see Hemby's name go uncalled in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was projected as a late-round pick, but went all seven rounds and 257 total picks without getting selected by any of the NFL's 32 teams.
However, it didn't take long after the draft for Hemby to find an NFL home. Shortly after the draft concluded, Hemby signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He is set to team up with Mendoza once again, and figures to compete for a backup role behind Ashton Jeanty.
#Raiders have signed former Indiana RB Roman Hemby as a UDFA, per his agents @EquitySports.
— Ryan McFadden (@ryanmcfadden_) April 25, 2026
Raiders fans will love the Mendoza/Hemby combination
Hemby spent four seasons with Maryland before transferring to Indiana for his final season of college football. Along with being IU's leading rusher, the Edgewood, MD native was a reliable threat in the passing game as well. He and Mendoza connected for 17 passes that went for 165 yards.
Hemby figures to have a lot of work to do in order to make the official roster come Week 1, but it's clear that the Raiders are doing all that they can to make Mendoza comfortable as he begins his NFL career. Bringing in a familiar face who has great chemistry with Mendoza is a great way to ensure his transition to the role of franchise quarterback is as seamless as possible.
Plus, Mendoza and Hemby both bring championship pedigree to a franchise looking to get back on track. No matter how you slice it, Raiders fans have a lot to like about signing Hemby as an UDFA.
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