Fernando Mendoza is on top of the world right now. Little did he know that his transfer from Cal would turn into a Heisman Trophy and an undefeated season. Yesterday, the Hoosiers’ QB1 led Indiana to a Rose Bowl thrashing of Alabama. Naturally, he is on top of the board for the 2026 NFL Draft, but one former NFL scout isn’t convinced of him.

Daniel Kelly, a former scout who worked with the New York Jets in the past, broke down all 13 of Mendoza’s games [prior to the Alabama matchup] and came away with a clear concern: everything about his process feels stiff and overly robotic. In a league that demands split-second reads, flexibility, and constant adaptation, that rigidity stands out.

In fact, Kelly reportedly identified 15 different issues, all of which pointed back to the same theme. All those issues meant that, as per Kelly, Mendoza should have a 4th-round value.

It begins with his under-center experience, as Mendoza is accustomed to Indiana’s spread, shotgun-heavy offense. He rarely, and in some games, didn’t take snaps under center at all, including the Big Ten clashes and the conference title game. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a clear adjustment NFL teams will flag.

Then comes the issue with cadence and communication. College spread systems often rely on simple claps to make the snap. The pros don’t. Mendoza will have to handle complex verbal cadences while simultaneously reading disguised coverages. However, that will be an issue with every college QB. Jon Gruden even discussed it with Jaxson Dart last year. But cadences can be taught.

Even other issues that the scout highlights can’t really be attributed to him. Yes, the system helped him. Indiana’s run game is ranked No. 11 nationally, forcing defenses to load the box and making reads easy. However, if a team drafts Mendoza, he will have the time to adapt to NFL defenses.

Even other issues, such as his pocket presence or passing in the middle of the field, or the mechanics, are a blatant misreading of his game. We all saw him against blitzes in the Alabama game, where he passed for three touchdowns against blitz pressure. The scout didn’t address his performance in clutch moments that we saw against Penn State and Ohio State.

The overarching view remains that Mendoza is destined for Sundays.

Golden words from the NFL legend himself

Fernando Mendoza’s NFL dream didn’t start yesterday. Growing up, the Indiana QB was a full-on Tom Brady fanboy. He has said plenty of times that while his parents are his biggest role models, he has always viewed Brady as his football idol.

That connection got even cooler when Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, gave Mendoza his stamp of approval.
“I love everything about his game,” Brady said. “His leadership really stands out. He relates to his teammates, and he’s overcome a lot in his career.”

On the field, Mendoza backed it up. He threw for 2,980 yards and a nation-leading 33 touchdowns, added six rushing scores, and led Indiana to a perfect 13-0 season and the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff. After transferring from Cal, he quickly found his rhythm in Bloomington and now looks like a legitimate contender to be the first quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.

His head coach, Curt Cignetti, sees the same obsession for greatness in him. “I’ve never been around a guy like him,” Cignetti said. “He wants to be great at a young age. He told his dad he wanted to be the next Tom Brady. If there were 25 hours in a day, he’d spend all 25 preparing.”

Sure, Mendoza still has things to clean up. But when Tom Brady himself is vouching for you, that kind of belief can open a lot of doors.