Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the projected No. 1 pick for the 2026 NFL Draft after a stellar season with the Hoosiers. In a lean quarterback class, Mendoza is expected to be a hot commodity on draft night, with several teams needing quarterbacks.
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and are expected to select Mendoza to lead the franchise next season under a new coach after Pete Carroll was fired.
Fernando Mendoza Makes Cheeky Tom Brady Plea
NFL legend Tom Brady, who is part-owner of the Raiders, attended the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in January as Mendoza led the Hoosiers to the program’s first natty and a perfect college football season.
During Friday’s segment of the “Up And Adams” show, Mendoza revealed that Brady was his idol and made a cheeky come-get-me plea via a LinkedIn joke in the process.
“I actually didn’t know he was there until after the game,” Mendoza said. “That was special to me. I’ve looked up to Tom Brady [and] he’s been a football idol of mine, especially with the nutrition, the way that he has systems and processes to then get to the offseason and really elevate his game.”
He added, “Because for me, I’m not the biggest, not the fastest, not the strongest. However, my key and my edge is preparation. That’s someone I’ve looked up to in the football space. I actually don’t know if he has LinkedIn. If he ever wants to make a connection, I’m open to work and open to network on LinkedIn.”
Fernando Mendoza remembers watching Tom Brady at the ‘Miami Miracle’ game… and hopes to make a LinkedIn connection with the GOAT 👀@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/Q10udqteK8
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 6, 2026
The Raiders are expected to hire Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be their next head coach after the Super Bowl and are also expected to aggressively seek a new quarterback after a hit-and-miss season for veteran Geno Smith under Carroll.
Brady Praises Mendoza’s Leadership Skills
During a Wednesday interview on the “Let’s Go” podcast, Brady lavished praise on Mendoza’s outstanding leadership, noting that it will serve him well as a franchise quarterback in the league.
“This is the reality, I’ve only seen him kind of one game in person, in the national championship game. I watched a little bit of the Ohio State game. He’s an impressive young man,” Brady said.
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He said, “What do I really value? When I see him and he talks about his teammates. When he wins the Heisman Trophy and he’s praising everybody else. That’s an endearing quality for a great leader. You know, everybody, like I said, will be able to throw the ball. Can you run?”
After transferring to Indiana from the California Golden Bears, Mendoza finished the season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while adding 276 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns to earn a PFSN CFB QB Impact score of 93.3.
