Fernando Mendoza's rise from 3-star recruit to No. 1 NFL draft pick
Fernando Mendoza went from an unranked high school QB to a Heisman winner to a No. 1 NFL draft pick. Here's his recruiting story.
Looking back at the 2022 recruiting class, Fernando Mendoza's name was nowhere near the top of the cycle's top recruits. In fact, Mendoza was not even ranked as one of the cycle's top 100 quarterback prospects according to 247Sports. Four years later and none of that matters now.
Mendoza led Indiana to its first national championship, was named the program's first Heisman Trophy winner, and on Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. So just who is Mendoza?
Where did his rise to the start come from? To get those answers, you have to look back at his high school days where Mendoza first got his start at Miami Columbus. Mendoza's quiet run to starter Playing for one of the state's top high school programs, Mendoza earned his first true varsity starts as a sophomore for the Explorers in 2019.
As a backup, Mendoza appeared in the final five games of Columbus' season playing behind starter Brandon McDuffey. He showed potential in those five appearances, completing 77% of his passes for 227 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The next year, Mendoza was named as Columbus' starter and did not disappoint.