{"id":873168,"date":"2026-04-24T00:45:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T00:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/873168\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T00:45:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T00:45:25","slug":"indiana-heisman-winning-qb-fernando-mendoza-goes-no-1-overall-in-the-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/873168\/","title":{"rendered":"Indiana Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the 26th Heisman winner to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft after the Oakland Raiders selected him in 2026. Mendoza continues a legacy that dates back to the first Heisman winner, Chicago running back Jay Berwanger, being selected No. 1 overall in the first-ever NFL draft in 1936.<\/p>\n

Of the 26 players, only Mendoza, Joe Burrow (2019), Jameis Winston (2013) and Cam Newton (2010) have won the Heisman trophy, a college football national championship and been selected first overall.<\/p>\n

View the full list of Heisman Trophy winners to be selected first overall in the NFL draft below.<\/p>\n

Heisman Trophy winners to go No. 1 overall<\/p>\n

\t\t\tHeisman YEAR
\n\t\t\tWINNER
\n\t\t\tCollege TEAM
\n\t\t\tPOSITION
\n\t\t\tDraft Year
\n\t\t\tNFL Draft Team<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1935
\n\t\t\tJay Berwanger<\/a>
\n\t\t\tChicago
\n\t\t\tHB
\n\t\t\t1936
\n\t\t\tPhiladelphia Eagles<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1940
\n\t\t\tTom Harmon
\n\t\t\tMichigan
\n\t\t\tHB
\n\t\t\t1941
\n\t\t\tChicago Bears<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1942
\n\t\t\tFrank Sinkwich
\n\t\t\tGeorgia
\n\t\t\tHB
\n\t\t\t1943
\n\t\t\tDetroit Lions<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1943
\n\t\t\tAngelo Bertelli
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t1944
\n\t\t\tBoston Yanks<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1949
\n\t\t\tLeon Hart
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\tTE
\n\t\t\t1950
\n\t\t\tDetroit Lions<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1956
\n\t\t\tPaul Hornung
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t1957
\n\t\t\tGreen Bay Packers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1959
\n\t\t\tBilly Cannon
\n\t\t\tLSU
\n\t\t\tHB
\n\t\t\t1960
\n\t\t\tLos Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1961
\n\t\t\tErnie Davis
\n\t\t\tSyracuse
\n\t\t\tHB\/LB\/FB
\n\t\t\t1962
\n\t\t\tWashington Redskins<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1962
\n\t\t\tTerry Baker
\n\t\t\tOregon State
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t1963
\n\t\t\tLos Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1968
\n\t\t\tO. J. Simpson
\n\t\t\tUSC
\n\t\t\tHB
\n\t\t\t1969
\n\t\t\tBuffalo Bills<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1970
\n\t\t\tJim Plunkett
\n\t\t\tStanford
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t1971
\n\t\t\tNew England Patriots<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1977
\n\t\t\tEarl Campbell
\n\t\t\tTexas
\n\t\t\tRB
\n\t\t\t1978
\n\t\t\tHouston Oilers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1978
\n\t\t\tBilly Sims
\n\t\t\tOklahoma
\n\t\t\tRB
\n\t\t\t1980
\n\t\t\tDetroit Lions<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1980
\n\t\t\tGeorge Rogers
\n\t\t\tSouth Carolina
\n\t\t\tRB
\n\t\t\t1981
\n\t\t\tNew Orleans Saints<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1985
\n\t\t\tBo Jackson
\n\t\t\tAuburn
\n\t\t\tRB
\n\t\t\t1986
\n\t\t\tTampa Bay Buccaneers*<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1986
\n\t\t\tVinny Testaverde
\n\t\t\tMiami
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t1987
\n\t\t\tTampa Bay Buccaneers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2002
\n\t\t\tCarson Palmer
\n\t\t\tUSC
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2003
\n\t\t\tCincinnati Bengals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2008
\n\t\t\tSam Bradford
\n\t\t\tOklahoma
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2010
\n\t\t\tSt. Louis Rams<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2010
\n\t\t\tCam Newton<\/a>
\n\t\t\tAuburn
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2011
\n\t\t\tCarolina Panthers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2013
\n\t\t\tJameis Winston<\/a>
\n\t\t\tFlorida State
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2015
\n\t\t\tTampa Bay Buccaneers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2017
\n\t\t\tBaker Mayfield<\/a>
\n\t\t\tOklahoma
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2018
\n\t\t\tCleveland Browns<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2018
\n\t\t\tKyler Murray<\/a>
\n\t\t\tOklahoma
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2019
\n\t\t\tArizona Cardinals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2019
\n\t\t\tJoe Burrow<\/a>
\n\t\t\tLSU
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2020
\n\t\t\tCincinnati Bengals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2021
\n\t\t\tBryce Young<\/a>
\n\t\t\tAlabama
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2023
\n\t\t\tCarolina Panthers<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2022
\n\t\t\tCaleb Williams<\/a>
\n\t\t\tSouthern California
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2024
\n\t\t\tChicago Bears<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2026
\n\t\t\tFernando Mendoza<\/a>
\n\t\t\tIndiana
\n\t\t\tQB
\n\t\t\t2026
\n\t\t\tOakland Raiders<\/p>\n

*Bo Jackson was draft No. 1 overall in the 1986 NFL draft but chose to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals over the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers forfeited his rights before the 1987 NFL draft and the Los Angeles Raiders selected Jackson in the seventh round with the 183rd pick.<\/p>\n

Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC\/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.<\/p>\n

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