After 132 years of trials and tribulations, the Indiana Hoosiers are the kings of college football. The Hoosiers became the first program that capped off a perfect 16-0 season by beating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 for the Natty in enemy territory of Hard Rock. All thanks to Fernando Mendoza. His heroics had NFL goat and Las Vegas Raiders’ owner Tom Brady on shook. Literally and figuratively.

The man of the hour was definitely Fernando Mendoza. Fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza showed exactly why he’s the best player in the country. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Curt Cignetti took a gamble of the-life-time on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal. Mendoza rewarded that trust by sprinting 12 yards on a quarterback draw for the game-winning touchdown.

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Tom Brady was left totally stunned by what he saw. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler captured Tom Brady’s approval on X with captions that read like: “Tom Approves.”

Brady’s reaction has everyone talking, especially since he has a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Watching from the sidelines, the GOAT couldn’t stop praising Mendoza’s performance and leadership. He mentioned that he “loves everything” about how Mendoza plays and was particularly impressed by how the young QB handles the pressure. Coming from the “GOAT” himself, that’s about the highest praise a college kid can get.

Las Vegas officially has the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and after the season they just had, everyone knows they’re desperate for a franchise quarterback after watching Geno Smith throw 17 picks this season. Who else is better than Mendoza?

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With this dub, Mendoza has essentially ended any debate about who should go first. Plus, 41 touchdowns a season screams NFL first-overall pick. He’s already won the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, and now he has a National Championship ring to match his Heisman. Even his biggest rivals when it comes to the first overall. Oregon’s Dante Moore recently decided to stay in school after getting out-balled by Mendoza in the CFP semi-finals.

It’s safe to say that makes Mendoza the “last man standing” at the top of the draft board. Betting odds approve of this. Mendoza is now sitting as the clear frontrunner at -200 to be the first pick.

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