Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza: 'I Was an A-Gap Generally' at Indiana

[ad_1] The No. 1 decide within the 2026 NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, has the Mr. Good Man status, however based on the previous Indiana Hoosiers star, that narrative is not absolute.

"Though I've come off as very humble, and fairly fuzzy and heat, on the finish of my Indiana profession, when you may have that fairness, you are capable of be like No. 4 [Brett Favre] and No. 12 [Aaron Rodgers]. If you happen to ask my teammates ... I wasn't all the time a pleasant man, I used to be an a-hole typically as a result of I wished everybody to do their one-eleventh, everybody to do their job, maintain everybody to a excessive commonplace," Mendoza mentioned in an interview with the Raiders' group web site.

"Nonetheless, coming into a brand new group, ranging from the underside of the totem pole, I imagine that management is earned, not given."

After spending the primary three seasons of his collegiate profession with the California Golden Bears (2022-24), Mendoza transferred to Indiana for the 2025 school soccer season, and the remainder is historical past. In a season that noticed Indiana win its first Nationwide Championship in program historical past — and go 16-0 within the course of — Mendoza totaled 3,535 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 182.9 passer ranking, whereas finishing 72.0% of his passes. He led the Large Ten in passing touchdowns and passer ranking, serving to Mendoza win the 2025 Heisman Trophy and Large Ten Offensive Participant of the Yr honors; he additionally rushed for 276 yards and 7 touchdowns.

For what it is price, Mendoza has dropped a number of F-bombs for the reason that Nationwide Championship, doing so in a postgame interview after the title triumph and in entrance of a gaggle of Raiders followers after being drafted.

As for Mendoza's new teammates, he has operating again Ashton Jeanty (the No. 6 decide within the 2025 NFL Draft) by his aspect within the backfield, with star tight finish Brock Bowers — who was an All-Professional in his 2024 rookie marketing campaign — and large receivers Tre Tucker (he totaled a team-high 696 receiving yards in 2025) and Jack Bech (2025 second-rounder) to focus on within the passing sport.

Plus, whereas the Raiders largely doled out their cash on protection in free company (e.g., Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Eric Stokes and Malcolm Koonce), they did signal heart and three-time Professional Bowler Tyler Linderbaum (three-year, $81 million deal) and large receiver Jalen Nailor (three-year, $35 million deal), amongst different gamers. In the meantime, Mendoza should beat out veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed a two-year, $12.6 million take care of the Raiders, for the beginning job.