Fresh off Indiana’s 27–21 win over Miami, DE Mikail Kamara opened up on his first impression of QB Fernando Mendoza, which was flat-out wrong. What Kamara once dismissed as PR polish, he now sees as something far more genuine, and he made sure Mendoza gets the praise he deserves.

“I’ll be honest,” Kamara said. “When I first met him, I thought he was just a PR junkie.”

But that impression cracked pretty quickly. “Then I realized that’s kind of just who he is. He’s genuinely the most genuine guy.”

For a player who followed Curt Cignetti from JMU to Bloomington and never takes credit, that realization mattered. What flipped the switch was a moment after Mendoza won the Heisman. He finished the season, completing 16-of-27 for 186 yards in the title game, while positioning himself as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Kamara watched as Mendoza put the trophy in a bucket, wheeled it around the facility, and handed it to everyone.

“He gave it to everyone to take pictures,” Kamara said. “From the janitors to the strength staff, to all the players and coaches. He’s really the most genuine dude I know.”

That kind of praise that carries weight coming from someone who’s spent years grinding through special teams prep and the unglamorous corners of a program that used to live at the bottom of college football.

And Mendoza backed every word up. In Indiana’s 27–21 CFP title win over Miami, Kamara’s blocked punt swung momentum before Mendoza delivered the gut punch with a gritty and chaotic fourth-and-5 scramble that ended with a Superman dive into the end zone.

“That touchdown he had was incredible,” Kamara said. “He wanted that so bad. He was willing to put his entire body on the line.”

So when Mendoza says, “I would die for my brothers,” Kamara doesn’t hesitate, saying, “That’s not a figure of speech.” When asked if he believes it, the DE said, “I 100 percent believe him.”

And honestly, after a perfect 16-0 season, a national title, and a likely No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, it’s hard to argue.

Why Fernando Mendoza still can’t escape the NFL noise

The Heisman winner found himself at the center of a viral rumor claiming he’d skip the NFL Combine for a Wall Street internship. With over a million views, the report swiftly gained popularity before falling apart. In fact, the QB has been caught up in draft rumors for weeks.

Mendoza stated before the championship game, “Friends and family send me things about (the draft)….All that stuff about the NFL, it’s a blessing, and the things that I see in articles. However, Monday’s game is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The fairytale ending came from his production. Mendoza wrapped up his Heisman season with 3,535 passing yards, 276 rushing yards, and 48 total touchdowns, then had the program-defining moment of the championship on a gritty fourth-and-5 against the Hurricanes.

Watching from the sideline was Tom Brady, whose viral reaction said everything. Mendoza later brushed off the spotlight on The Tonight Show, instead shining it back on his teammates.

“Indiana’s been predominantly a basketball [school], and football has been in purgatory for the longest time. And our team, with Cignetti and a whole bunch of unrecruited guys who have been doubted their entire lives, now finally marked as national champions, it means the world to all of us,” said Mendoza on the show with Jimmy Fallon.

This title was built by overlooked players with zero stars and transfers who followed Cignetti from James Madison and sealed by moments like Mikail Kamara’s blocked punt. Now that the chapter is done, Mendoza made his next move official.

On Friday, Jan. 23, Mendoza declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, and he updated his LinkedIn status to “open to work.”

“Coming to Indiana was a leap of faith, a leap that led me to go 16-0 with my boys and a national championship,” Mendoza said. “And has now led me here, the moment where I get to dream bigger. Thank you to my family, the teammates that pushed me, the coaches that took a chance on me, it’s only with your support and the glory of God that I’m here today. With trust in my foundation and gratitude for every person that has helped me reach this moment. I’m ready to take the next step.”

“My LinkedIn status is now open to work, and I’m officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”

After winning everything there was to win, Mendoza sounds like someone ready to look forward to the next chapter.