Fernando Mendoza News: Leaving school after perfect season

Mendoza announced Friday that he'll forgo a fifth season of eligibility to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

Fresh off leading Indiana to its first national championship earlier this week, Mendoza will unsurprisingly move on to the professional ranks following an exceptional redshirt junior season in Bloomington. On his way to leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record, the signal-caller took home Heisman Trophy honors and completed 72.0 percent of his pass attempts for 3,535 yards and a 41:6 TD:INT while adding 276 yards and seven scores on the ground. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Mendoza brings ideal size at quarterback to match his outstanding collegiate production. He'll be the heavy favorite to be selected by the quarterback-needy Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.