Indiana QB Mendoza skips Draft, stays true to himself

Fernando Mendoza brought a bit of a shock both to fans and the NFL world in general when he elected to not attend the 2026 NFL Draft. He will instead be spending that time with his family in Miami, Florida. To be fair, it is extremely rare to see a projected No.

1 overall pick to not appear for what will be one of the most pivotal moments of their lives. But with a player who has the nature Mendoza has, it should be anything but that. Nothing Mendoza has ever said or done points to the thought he would want to be in the spotlight.

In practically every interview he has done in his career, he puts all of the praise on his teammates and those around him with a humble nature that comes across instantly. That's been reflected in many of his quotes, including one from after the Peach Bowl when Mendoza and the Hoosiers downed the Oregon Ducks, 56-22. When asked about his performance, the Indiana quarterback appeared to shake his head for being specifically recognized, despite him being one of the team's most impactful players.

"I would say that it was a great team effort. There were a lot of contested catches," Mendoza told me following the game. "Charlie Becker's touchdown, Elijah Sarratt, you know, making catches all over the field.