'Legit' Fernando Mendoza Hyped by CFB Coach After Raiders Land No. 1 Pick in NFL Draft

After the Las Vegas Raiders secured the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, all signs point to them selecting Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Athletic's Antonio Morales and Dane Brugler spoke to an assistant coach whose team played Indiana this season who hyped Mendoza for having a skillset beyond the run-pass options that the Hoosiers frequently use.

"He's not just an RPO guy," the assistant coach said. "He can make every throw. He's legit."

Brugler went on to explain that Mendoza has shown the capability to adapt from Indiana's usual game plan when necessary, stating, "In Indiana's RPO-heavy scheme, his reads are often clearly defined based on pre-snap looks, but he responds well to the blitz and makes impressive in-game adjustments."

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The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has continued building on a dream season by leading No. 1 Indiana (14-0) to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, where it will face No. 5 Oregon (13-1) on Friday night in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Mendoza has racked up 36 touchdown passes this season, most recently throwing three scores in a dominant 38-3 win over No. 9 Alabama.

The Raiders are in need of a franchise quarterback, and Mendoza is the best player in a draft class that doesn't feature many highly-touted signal-callers. If Las Vegas wants to end its perpetual rebuild, the team would be wise to not overthink the No. 1 pick and bring in Mendoza to lead the franchise into the future.