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Fernando Mendoza spent Wednesday warming up with his college roommate while nearly two dozen teammates cycled through 40-yard dash runs.
Then Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback did what he does best – he put on a show.
Every NFL team sent scouts to campus. Over 100 media credentials were handed out, and dozens of family members showed up for what might be the biggest pro day in school history. They came to see the guy who’s expected to go first overall in this month’s draft, and Mendoza made sure he gave them something to talk about while helping his former teammates boost their own stock.
“I feel like it went great,” Mendoza said after throwing roughly 56 passes inside the John Mellencamp Pavilion. “You know quarterbacks have passed, have done shorter pro days than that. However, I just wanted to make sure everybody could showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams and really run routes that are applicable to the timing we’re going to be running in the NFL.”
He threw everything – short passes, deep balls, intermediate routes. Targets went left, right, over the middle. He even threw on the run.
Was he perfect? No.
The former Florida prep star (who transferred from Cal) overthrew Elijah Sarratt by about half a yard on a deep ball that had the receiver diving. A few other passes hit the turf too.
But here’s the thing – the 6-foot-5, 22-year-old doesn’t need to be perfect at this point. He’s already done enough to convince the Las Vegas Raiders he’s their guy at No. 1, and honestly, Vegas seems like a perfect landing spot for the Boston-born quarterback who grew up idolizing team minority owner Tom Brady.
Brady himself showed up to January’s Indiana-Miami national championship game in Miami alongside Raiders majority owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek. That’s the kind of attention Mendoza’s 2025 season generated.
His numbers tell part of the story – 72% completion rate, 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions. But it’s what he did in big moments that really sealed it: that twisting highlight-reel scoring run late in the title game, beating Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami back-to-back to capture Indiana’s first outright Big Ten title since 1945.
And the school’s first national football championship ever.
Mendoza skipped the workout portion at February’s NFL scouting combine; Wednesday’s throwing session was his main showcase. With Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti watching and TV lights set up in both end zones, Mendoza might’ve shown something just as important as arm talent – his commitment to succeeding at the next level.
He showed up at 236 pounds, which is 11 pounds heavier than his listed playing weight. He looked noticeably stronger, more prepared to absorb hits from NFL pass rushers who are bigger and faster than anything he faced in college.
Despite all that, Mendoza insists he’s got plenty of work ahead.
“I’m putting all of my efforts toward just trying to be the best quarterback possible for the season,” he said. “But I know at the next level, there’s going to be a lot more snaps under center, and that’s a big adjustment. I need to get used to that and just the nature of the game. Not only that, the hash [marks] are more condensed and the speed of the game is faster. So, all those things I look forward to learning.”
He’s already met with the Raiders twice – once at the combine, then again on a videoconference. There’s one more meeting scheduled before Las Vegas goes on the clock April 23. Now it’s just a waiting game, though Wednesday’s pro day gave him one final chance to soak in everything he and his teammates accomplished.
“You have to take a second to kind of realize what we have all accomplished together here,” Mendoza said, referring to his teammates who finished the workout with a sprint to the end zone and a group hug. “It was a little bit of a moment of gratitude, looking at those guys and really seeing the special moments I’ve had with each individual. It’s unlikely we’ll all play on the same team again, but hopefully, I’ll get to play against and with some of those guys again.”
