Alberto Mendoza decided it was finally time for him to step out of his brother’s shadows. The younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is entering the transfer portal after two seasons with Indiana. However, it looks like he doesn’t have to wait for long, as some big names are ready to bet on him.

Georgia Tech has emerged as one of the early frontrunners to land the talented young quarterback, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer. The Yellow Jackets are among the first programs to express serious interest in Mendoza. He brings both bloodlines and production to the ACC school. While other programs are expected to join the pursuit, Georgia Tech’s early move positions them favorably in a potentially competitive recruitment.

The backup quarterback spent the 2025 campaign in the shadows of his superstar sibling. He appeared in nine games for the national champions while completing 18-of-24 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception. However, as Indiana landed TCU transfer Josh Hoover to replace Fernando, Alberto’s path to the starting job disappeared.

He may have spent most of his time on the sideline this season. But when he got opportunities, he made them count. His efficiency numbers were eye-popping. He had a 75% completion percentage and a 235.5 passer rating that ranked among the best in college football for quarterbacks with his volume of attempts. He threw multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games against Kennesaw State and Florida International early in the season.

He then connected on a beautiful 65-yard touchdown pass against Purdue in late November. His athleticism showed up in the ground game, too. He had a 53-yard run against Maryland that showed his explosiveness. Growing up, Alberto actually played safety and wide receiver before switching to quarterback, which explains his natural feel for space and his ability to create with his legs.​

What’s particularly intriguing about Alberto is that Fernando Mendoza has repeatedly said his younger brother will be better than him. Their high school coach, Dave Dunn, explained the dynamic, “Alberto probably switched to quarterback because he wanted to prove that he was better than Fernando. ‘I’ll show you how to play quarterback.’ That’s how he’s wired.” That competitive fire is what college programs want in a quarterback. And it’s part of why schools are already circling despite his limited playing time.​

The reality is that Curt Cignetti’s program operates on a simple but ruthless principle. He values production over potential. Cignetti famously explained his philosophy by saying he’d “much rather have a guy that’s put it on the field and has statistical numbers than a guy that’s maybe second or third team at the No. 1 team in the country and has great potential.”

That’s exactly why Indiana went hard after Josh Hoover, a quarterback with 9,629 career passing yards, 71 touchdowns, and three years of starting experience. Now Alberto will take his talent elsewhere, where a team willing to bet on potential over production can give him the keys to an offense.​

The plan that fell apart

The irony is that Alberto Mendoza had it all mapped out. Before the season even started, he told Cignetti exactly what he was thinking. There was a clean succession plan that made perfect sense.

 “I think his words were, ‘I’ll stay a year, but he’s got to go out early and then I’m the guy,'” Cignetti told reporters on January 17. “We’ll see what happens there with Alberto. I think he’s got a good future. I like him a lot as a player. We’ll see what the future holds.” Those words turned out to be almost prophetic, because the “future” arrived just three days later when Alberto entered the transfer portal.​

What makes Alberto’s departure particularly bittersweet is how much progress he made during his redshirt freshman season. Indiana quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer said before the Rose Bowl that Mendoza improved in “everything” from his true freshman to redshirt freshman year. It was thanks in large part to Fernando Mendoza’s presence. “I think he learns from every single rep from his brother,” Whitmer explained. 

“So, just all the things I’m teaching in that room, he helped reinforce. And so he’s able to get some reps, obviously, but also learn from him through mental reps. He’s just really improving in his confidence and experience.” But confidence and experience don’t mean much when a three-year starter with nearly 10,000 career passing yards shows up in the transfer portal. Alberto bet on himself and his timeline. But Cignetti bet on production. And now the younger Mendoza brother will have to build that future somewhere else.​

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