Georgia was almost the destination for Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. The former Indiana quarterback revealed this week his Christmas Eve 2024 commitment to Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers nearly went in another direction.
Courted by several elite programs after making 19 quality starts over two seasons at California with 4,712 yards passing and 30 touchdowns, Mendoza was a four-star transfer in the 2025 portal cycle as the fourth-best quarterback available.
“I think there was one time even where I was about to call Kirby to commit to Georgia and the call didn’t go through,” Mendoza said on 96.7 The Ticket. “And I thought, ‘Alright, let me sleep on it tonight.’ I really believed God helped me with that.”
After missing out on Mendoza in their transfer class, the Bulldogs rolled with Gunner Stockton as their starter en route to a conference championship and College Football Playoff appearance.
“Really, what it came down to was Indiana and Georgia,” Mendoza said. “Kirby, great recruiter, great coach, great program. They were this close to making a national championship. I was really going back and forth between the two. And honestly, I was really confused. I was lost in the sauce because they were both great situations. It was a win-win. It was a really tough decision.”
As Cignetti’s prized win in the portal, Mendoza went on to shatter numerous program records en route to Indiana’s first national championship as college football’s most-decorated individual.
Mendoza was Cignetti’s fifth different starting quarterback in each of the past five years, all earning all-conference or All-American status at James Madison and Indiana.
“He was an easy guy to evaluate,” Cignetti said last season of Mendoza during the Hoosiers’ rise to No. 1. “There’s a lot of physical talent there. He’s tall, he’s smart, he’s got a quick release, he can make all the throws, he’s mobile. When he got here we had to settle him down a bit in the pocket, work on his footwork and processing a little bit, and just calm him down in a little bit in the pocket, because he didn’t have the best protection at Cal.”
Mendoza is projected to be the No. 1 overall selection by the Las Vegas Raiders in April’s 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza opted to skip a senior season with the Hoosiers after finishing with 3,535 yards passing, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions last season, highlighted by a near-perfect showing in the CFP.
Mendoza had more touchdown passes (8) than incompletions (5) during playoff wins over Alabama and Oregon before his memorable, fourth-down scoring run against Miami in the national championship game that pushed the Hoosiers’ lead to 10 points with 9:18 to play.
Mendoza juked a Miami defender at the line of scrimmage and bounced off two linebackers at 5-yard line before weaving his way into the end zone with a diving touchdown.
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