Indiana football might have just hijacked the Big Ten script! This isn’t the same team that used to get beaten easily. The Hoosiers finished 11-2, made the College Football Playoff, and ranked No. 10 in the AP poll. The man behind this transformation is Curt Cignetti, the former James Madison head coach, who immediately started bringing wins to Bloomington. With Kurtis Rourke off to the NFL, Cignetti might have found his Rourke 2.0 in Fernando Mendoza. If you think this is a step back for Indiana, Todd McShay and Steve Muench just released a scouting report that would give B1G defenses nightmares.

On June 13th, NFL analyst Todd McShay and his longtime partner-in-crime, Steve Muench, jumped on the Todd McShay Podcast and showed big love for Fernando Mendoza’s game. They didn’t hold back either—calling out his tape, his touch, and why he’s the type of QB wideouts dream about.

Steve Muench sighed with excitement when he heard Fernando Mendoza’s name coming out of Todd McShay’s mouth. The co-host started with praise, “Yeah he’s good, man. Listen, he was third in the ACC in passing yards per game last year… He didn’t throw a lot of touchdowns—he’s tied for 10th in the ACC—but when you look at those yards per game, and then you throw on the tape, and you’re like, ‘Oh boy, this kid can play.'”

Mendoza quietly had a strong 2024 season in the ACC. He was third in the conference in passing yards per game while playing for the California Golden Bears, trailing only Cam Ward (Miami)—the No. 1 pick—and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. The numbers back it: Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns, and completed nearly 69% of his passes while only tossing six picks. He even sprinkled in some sneaky mobility—two rushing TDs and over 100 yards with his legs.

His best performance? Lighting up Oregon State for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 44-7 demolition job. He even caught a touchdown in that game. Trick plays, laser throws, wheels—QB’s got layers. So yeah, McShay went ahead and fired off the warning shot: “What stood out to me more than anything on his tape? He knows where to put the football. He’s a wide receiver’s dream. The back turns on a DB—‘Give me the ball here, don’t make me go here, don’t make me fight through him, give me the ball here, let me come back to it’—and he did it over and over and over again on tape.”  You give Cignetti a guy like that? Oh, it’s trouble. It’s another 9- or 10-win season.

And let’s not forget what Fernando Mendoza is walking into. The 2025 Hoosiers are stacked. They lost Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton at RB but scooped up Maryland transfer Roman Hemby—who’s not just a runner but a pass-game threat. Wideout Elijah Sarratt is still here after racking up 957 yards and eight tuddies. Omar Cooper Jr., the deep threat averaging 21.2 a pop, is also back.

The early schedule is easy, with games against ODU, Indiana State, and Kennesaw State. Michigan State and UCLA come to Bloomington. Purdue? Road game, but winnable. They just need three out of four from Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Maryland to smash the over on that 8.5 win line. The only problem is Penn State in Beaver Stadium and Oregon Ducks at Autzen. They can make playoffs with 2 Ls right? And if Mendoza clicks? You might want to circle November for another CFP push.

Is Fernando Mendoza the one for Curt Cignetti and Indiana?

In 2024, Kirk Rourke took Indiana from punchline to primetime. He broke the school’s single-season passing TD record (29), passed for 3042 yards, and had a 69.4% completion rate. He was a one-season wonder, but his legacy will stick. Now Mendoza steps into those oversized cleats, but he might be better.

Why would a high-end QB like Fernando Mendoza pick Indiana? The 6’5″ QB had offers. But the coaching situation? That’s what sold it. Curt Cignetti is a quarterback whisperer. He turned JMU into a QB haven with QBs like Ben DiNucci, Cole Johnson, and Jordan McCloud turning heads. In 2024, Rourke posted a top-3 QBR nationally under Cignetti. Mendoza knows exactly what he’s stepping into—a system where QBs eat.

Mendoza is listed at 6’5″, 225. NFL build. Howitzer for arm. He can hit every spot on the field—flats, hitches, post corners, deep outs—you name it. What’s wild is how compact his motion is. Long arms, but tight mechanics. That opens up the playbook: quick RPOs, deep shots, and the whole menu in between.

And he’s not just a thrower. His tape shows a QB who will take hits, stand tall in the pocket, and make the right read. He’s not Lamar Jackson, but he’s slippery enough to escape pressure and buy time. That alone is gold in college football. And he’s not scared to take a shot if it means buying his guys another beat to get open.

Now here’s the big concern: sacks. Fernando Mendoza got dropped a lot at Cal—sacked on 9.4% of dropbacks. But context is king. That Cal O-line? Straight-up bananas. They gave up 50 sacks last year. FIFTY. Penalties galore. Couldn’t hold a block to save their GPA. But now? Mendoza walks into an O-line that’s Big Ten battle-ready. Carter Smith at LT. Pat Coogan from Notre Dame at center. Kahlil Benson and Zen Michalski are beefing up the interior. That’s an upgrade, like going from dial-up to fiber.

CBS’s Ryan Wilson already has Mendoza going No. 14 overall to the Steelers in his early 2026 mock draft. And that isn’t hype for hype’s sake. It’s because Mendoza checks every box: arm talent, poise, size, accuracy, and mental processing. His RPO reads are crisp. His off-platform throws are NFL-caliber. And his pre-snap command? Already a plus. Indiana might still carry that basketball-school tag in the minds of casuals. But Cignetti flipped the culture. And with Mendoza at QB1? This might be the most dangerous Indiana team of all time. Hopefully.