Fernando Mendoza officially declares for 2026 NFL draft
- Alex Bozich
- 39m ago
National champion and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza officially declared for the 2026 NFL draft on Friday morning.
The projected No. 1 pick, Mendoza, as expected, declared for the draft in an announcement on Instagram.
“Let’s get to work,” Mendoza wrote on Instagram. “I’m humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”
The Heisman Trophy winner is currently in New York, where he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday. This morning, Mendoza is in the midst of appearances on Good Morning America, The Today Show and CBS Mornings.
Mendoza helped lead the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and the program’s first national championship in his lone season in Bloomington. He threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and led the nation with a quarterback rating of 90.3.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who own the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, are expected to select Mendoza to lead their struggling franchise.
Indiana will replace Mendoza with TCU transfer Josh Hoover, who signed with the program earlier this month.
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