As was widely expected, the Las Vegas Raiders made Fernando Mendoza the first pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback led the Hoosiers to their first national championship in program history this past season. Now, he becomes the second IU player to be drafted with the first pick, the first since Corbett Davis in 1938.
Advertisement
Mendoza was an unheralded recruit and accrued minimal offers out of high school. He began his career at Cal before transferring to Indiana this past offseason to join forces with coach Curt Cignetti. Now, he joins first-year Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and will compete with Kirk Cousins for the starting job.
