From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.<\/p>\n
No. 15 FERNANDO MENDOZA\/QB INDIANA \u2013 6-5, 236 POUNDS (RS JUNIOR)<\/p>\n
Player
\nHt\/Wt
\nHand Size
\nArm Length
\nWingspan<\/p>\n
Fernando Mendoza
\n6-5\/236
\n9 1\/2\u2033
\n31 7\/8\u2033
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
40-Yard Dash
\n10-Yard Dash
\nShort Shuttle
\n3-Cone<\/p>\n
DNP
\nDNP
\nDNP
\nDNP<\/p>\n
Broad Jump
\nVertical
\nBench Press<\/p>\n
DNP
\nDNP
\nDNP<\/p>\n
THE GOOD<\/p>\n
\u2013 Very accurate passer, excellent touch to layer throws down the field
\u2013 Extremely efficient, accurate and mistake-free in the red zone
\u2013 Brings a gritty, tough attitude to the game, will fight for every single yard
\u2013 Throws with anticipation
\u2013 Elite accuracy allows him to throw receivers open
\u2013 Prototypical quarterback build
\u2013 Can put some speed on the ball when he has time and space to load up and throw
\u2013 Relatively quick release
\u2013 Tough enough to stand in the pocket and finish throws amidst pressure
\u2013 Goes through progressions quickly, good processing
\u2013 Capable of taking what the defense gives him and picking up yards with his legs
\u2013 Few turnover-worthy plays
\u2013 Stepped up when it mattered in big games throughout 2025 season, never seemed scared of the moment<\/p>\n
THE BAD<\/p>\n
\u2013 Benefitted from a simple RPO-heavy scheme at Indiana
\u2013 Able runner, but not able to escape from pressure in his face consistently
\u2013 Not a ton of arm strength
\u2013 Seemed to trust his RPO looks too much at times
\u2013 Willing to put his body in harms way, may lead to injury concerns in the future
\u2013 Questionable decision making with pressure in his face
\u2013 Inconsistent mechanics when throwing off base
\u2013 Doesn\u2019t step up into the pocket very often
\u2013 Slight habit of staring down receivers<\/p>\n
STATS<\/p>\n
\u2013 Career: 68.6-percent completion rate, 8,247 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns, 22 interceptions 156.2 passer rating
\u2013 2023: 63-percent completion rate, 1,708 yards, 14 touchdowns, 10 interceptions,
\u2013 2024: 68.7-percent completion rate, 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns, six interceptions
\u2013 2025: 72-percent completion rate, 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, six interceptions
\u2013 225 career rushing attempts for 473 yards, 11 touchdowns
\u2013 Caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in 2024
\u2013 In 2025, Led Big Ten in passing touchdowns (41), yards per pass attempt (9.3), adjusted yards per attempt (10.78), passer rating (182.9)
\u2013 36 collegiate games, 20 at Cal and 16 at Indiana
\u2013 Awards: 2025: Heisman Trophy winner, AP Player of the Year, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Consensus All American<\/p>\n
INJURY HISTORY<\/p>\n
\u2013 2024: Missed final game of the season against SMU due to an illness
\u2013 2025: Visited the tent with a minor injury against Wisconsin, missed one play after taking a big hit in the Big Ten Championship game, and bloodied his lip in the National Championship game, but played through all three injuries<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND<\/p>\n
\u2013 DOB: October 1, 2003 TAPE BREAKDOWN<\/p>\n When watching Fernando Mendoza\u2019s tape, one of the first things to jump off the screen is his accuracy. He doesn\u2019t have the strongest arm, but Mendoza is excellent at layering throws. Especially in the red zone, a place he was elite at in Indiana.<\/p>\n Mendoza reads this play well, and makes an excellent throw over the top of the defense, putting the ball where only his receiver can catch it. His accuracy really shines through in the red zone, something that should translate well for Mendoza heading into the NFL.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t just happen in the red zone, though. Mendoza is accurate to all levels of the field, including the deep ball.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not going to see many throws prettier than this one. Mendoza makes the right read, throwing the ball at the perfect time with his receiver past the cornerback, yet still free from the safety. He layers it right into his receivers\u2019 hands for a massive gain down the sideline.<\/p>\n The accuracy is certainly there, throwing downfield. But the arm strength is a little more of a worry. Mendoza didn\u2019t need that arm strength in the previous throw, but he did need it here.<\/p>\n Mendoza\u2019s receiver has a clear step on his man here, and it\u2019s a good decision by Mendoza. But he doesn\u2019t get nearly enough on the ball. That allows the defender to get back into the play and break it up.<\/p>\n Mendoza is a capable runner, and he ran the ball plenty of times at Indiana. However, he\u2019s not a quarterback who\u2019s going to dynamically extend plays with his legs.<\/p>\n Overall, his pocket presence is pretty solid. But once the pressure is within the pocket, Mendoza doesn\u2019t have enough agility to escape it, as shown in the clip above.<\/p>\n That said, it\u2019s not like Mendoza isn\u2019t mobile at all. He can make plays with his legs when he needs to, and there\u2019s a reason Indiana had him run the ball as often as they did.<\/p>\n He\u2019s not going to accelerate quickly with the ball in his hands. But when he has a chance to get up to speed, Mendoza is quick enough to make defenses pay with his legs. Here, he\u2019s able to escape the pocket and scramble for a nice first down.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a huge concern, since Mendoza is pretty accurate as a passer. However, he played in an RPO-heavy offense, and a lot of his throws came on those short slants over the middle. Mendoza operates them well, but there are times he trusts the route too much and doesn\u2019t correctly read what\u2019s happening over the middle of the field.<\/p>\n This type of concept is something Indiana ran often. Mendoza makes the read, but doesn\u2019t see the safety over the top. In the end, his receiver gets leveled. Again, this doesn\u2019t happen too often, but it will be interesting to see Mendoza adjust in the NFL without so many RPO looks.<\/p>\n Finally, the biggest concerns I have with Mendoza are his arm strength and his decision-making under pressure. Notably, I only see Mendoza make bad decisions when pressured. He tends to try to force things, even when falling back, and he doesn\u2019t have enough arm strength to make up for it.<\/p>\n If you have the arm talent, this is a throw that can be made, despite it being a bad decision. But Mendoza doesn\u2019t have the arm to make this throw. He\u2019ll need to clean up some of these bad decisions in the NFL.<\/p>\n That said, there is a lot to like about Mendoza as a quarterback. He\u2019s a very accurate passer who throws with anticipation. Both of those help him throw his receivers open, as he does here.<\/p>\n This is a simple read, and Mendoza knows where he\u2019s going with the ball before the snap. But he throws it at the perfect time, with the defender\u2019s back still turned. And his throw is perfect, right at the receivers\u2019 back shoulder where only he can catch it.<\/p>\n CONCLUSION<\/p>\n In general, Fernando Mendoza isn\u2019t as exciting a prospect as most quarterbacks that go first overall. He doesn\u2019t have the strongest arm in the world, and he makes some questionable decisions when pressured. He doesn\u2019t move the best in the pocket, and while he\u2019s able to scramble, he has no fear about putting his body in harms way. It\u2019s admirable to see a quarterback so willing to take contact, but it could lead to future injuries. And Mendoza\u2019s offense was very RPO-oriented at Indiana, so there aren\u2019t as many NFL-level throws on tape.<\/p>\n However, Mendoza has many skills that should immediately translate to the NFL. He\u2019s extremely accurate at every layer of the field; that\u2019s not going to disappear. He processes things well and throws with anticipation against both man and zone. Mendoza rarely throws interceptions and was nearly perfect in the red zone. And Mendoza is a great leader, an important trait for quarterbacks. He will put his body on the line for his team and earn his teammates\u2019 respect.<\/p>\n To me, his game falls somewhere in between the way Joe Burrow and Matt Ryan looked coming out of college. He might not live up to the production those two saw, but Mendoza has enough traits to make him a quality NFL quarterback. I see him becoming a long-time starter in the NFL, but I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll develop into a perennial All-Pro.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Hometown: Miami, FL (born in Boston, MA)
\u2013 Attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami
\u2013 Three-star prospect out of high school
\u2013 Committed to Cal, transferred to Indiana before 2025 season
\u2013 Earned Bachelor\u2019s degree in Business Administration in three years at Cal
\u2013 Campus Ministry President and school Vice President in high school<\/a>
\u2013 Mendoza\u2019s mother, Elsa, struggles with multiple sclerosis, and Mendoza teamed up with two Bloomington-based restaurants through an NIL deal to raise money for the National MS Society<\/a><\/p>\n