Fernando Mendoza once again cemented his status as a genuine NFL draft prospect. He portrayed a masterclass performance, leading Indiana to a resounding 63-10 victory over No. 9 Illinois. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdown passes. His poise stood out as he handled the rush, standing tall against seven defenders to fire a clutch 5-yard touchdown pass. But the best part of it all? Curt Cignetti’s method is bearing fruit for the offense.

The Hoosiers’ head coach watched Mendoza’s journey up close since he arrived from Cal. And he has been singing nothing but praise. Early in the season, Mendoza was a work in progress. He was grappling with patience in the pocket, reading, and decision-making under pressure. But that all changed fast. The completion rate jumped from 58% in Week 1 to an eye-popping 95% by the third week. What makes this turnaround even more impressive is how NFL draft analyst Todd McShay zeroed in on the “cultish” control Cignetti has over Mendoza.

“Mendoza is going to be a really tough evaluation because Cignetti didn’t let him go to the Manning Passing Academy. You want to know why? He wanted every single second he could get with him,” Todd said to Steve Muench on his show. “It’s almost like cultish, like this is how we do it.” That pretty much sums up Cignetti’s total commitment to molding Mendoza into the QB he’s destined to be. The Manning Passing Academy is like the Mecca of quarterback development. But Cignetti made a bold call. Why? Because he believed every ounce of Mendoza’s improvement had to be sculpted under his exact system and watchful eye. It was about maximizing development through constant, real-time coaching during the offseason.

“It’s the only way to be this efficient in college with the little amount of time you have to practice,” McShay added. “I’m starting to wonder if they’re talented enough with the right pieces in this scheme to be a real problem. Like a real problem.” Cignetti’s approach pays dividends. He shaped Mendoza through a quarterback-friendly offense loaded with spread concepts and RPOs. With Mendoza at the helm, the Hoosiers average over 50 points per game.

The offensive scheme itself mixes old-school power running behind backs like Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe Jr. with a modern, uptempo RPO. Against Kennesaw State in Week 2, Hemby took a handoff on a designed run and ripped off a physical 25-yard gain. In the same game, Mendoza often took the snap in shotgun with quick read options, forcing defenders to hesitate between committing to the run or retreating to cover receivers.

Hoosiers’ WR, Miles Cross, echoed the same sentiment about this skill. “When a team decides to load the box up,” he said. “We throw RPOs behind that. If they try to stop the RPO, we get big runs.” 

Fernando Mendoza, Steelers’ franchise QB? 

Fernando Mendoza’s NFL draft future has taken a massive turn. But let’s not get surprised by that. When Mendoza left Cal for Indiana, nobody saw this rise coming. Now, NFL scouts have gone from curious to convinced, with some even whispering late first-round buzz. How did this happen so fast? In his first few weeks leading Indiana, Mendoza has delivered a performance mix of accuracy, poise, and clutch decision-making that’s turned heads.

Against Indiana State, he completed 19 of 20 passes for 270 yards and six total touchdowns without a single turnover. That game was a big statement. NFL insiders like Mel Kiper Jr. and Matt Miller have already started talking about Mendoza as a potential first-round pick because of his size—6-foot-5, 225 pounds—his strong arm, and his high football IQ. What keeps him rising is how well Mendoza works with his receivers, particularly dynamic players like Omar Cooper Jr.

This chemistry and Mendoza’s ability to spread the ball around have created a nightmare for defenses. The Steelers’ quarterback situation adds another layer to this story. With veteran Aaron Rodgers likely retiring, Pittsburgh is hunting for a new franchise QB. Mike Tomlin’s team may show interest in Mendoza as a potential long-term answer, especially compared to other prospects like Garrett Nussmeier.