Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Indiana’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is not chasing clout. He knows exactly where his priorities lie. Whether it’s skipping standard NFL Combine drills to highlight his teammates at Pro Day or making unconventional career choices, Mendoza does things his own way. Now, with the NFL Draft approaching, he just pulled a move nobody saw coming.
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Mendoza, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is likely not going to attend the event in person. As per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mendoza has already told the NFL that he does not want to travel to Pittsburgh for the draft. Instead, he plans to stay in Miami and enjoy the special moment with his family.
If Fernando Mendoza goes No 1 overall and skips the event, he will be the first top pick to stay home since Travon Walker in 2022. He joins a short list of top prospects who made similar choices, including Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Baker Mayfield in 2018, and Myles Garrett in 2017.
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Missing the draft means Mendoza won’t be there on stage, he won’t wear his new team’s jersey in front of everyone, or shake hands with the commissioner. Instead, he plans to celebrate this moment differently at a private party in Miami with his family, with cameras set up to livestream his reaction.
Which Prospects should OSU target next?
Let Tony do the scouting, you just make the pick.
For Mendoza, this wasn’t really a tough call. His parents sacrificed a lot to get him to this point, so he wanted them front and center when his name gets called. Walking a red carpet just didn’t mean as much to him as sharing that raw, private emotion with the people who built him.
Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this month, per sources. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami. pic.twitter.com/ApUc7UmIDX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 7, 2026
This is not the first time Mendoza has pulled something of this sort. At the Pro Day, Mendoza completed 53 out of 56 passes, and the only three incomplete passes happened because the receivers dropped the ball. However, he chooses not to take part in other drills or physical tests because he wants all of his other teammates to shine too.
“I just wanted to best showcase our guys,” Mendoza said after IU’s Pro Day. “Quarterbacks in the past have done shorter Pro Days than that; however, I just wanted to make sure everybody can showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams and really run routes that are applicable to the timing that we’re going to be running in the NFL.”
All this despite knowing the fact that he is the clear favorite to be picked No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. Plus, the Raiders also sent important staff members to Indiana’s Pro Day, like general manager John Spytek, head coach Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, and others. But even then, he was just focusing on what’s important for him and his teammates.
Since joining Indiana Mendoza has been turning heads first with his exceptional performance than by winning Heisman taking Indiana to their first championship win and now if he is picked first in the NFL Draft, he will make history for them as he would become only the second player from the school ever to be chosen No. 1 overall, joining Corbett Davis, who achieved this way back in 1938. But it turns out that football is not the ultimate goal for Fernando Mendoza.
Fernando Mendoza reflects on other career opportunities
Fernando Mendoza studied at the Haas School of Business while also playing football. He used the money he earned from his name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals to cover the costs of his final classes. As a result, he was able to complete his degree quickly and graduate in just three years.
Before the NFL Draft, Mendoza stressed his decision to choose California over Yale. He realized that if he had chosen Yale, his life could have taken a completely different direction. As football might not be in the picture for him, instead, he would have started a job in finance, possibly working on Wall Street as an analyst.
“First of all, I think it would have been a very cool experience to be around people who are a lot smarter than me and make friends with those people, just like I did at Berkeley,” Mendoza said to USA Today.
He believes that careers in finance are very useful because they help people earn money and take care of their families. In his view, these jobs can also make a big difference by helping others and improving lives. With that keen interest in finance, he also teases fans with his retirement plans.
“Who knows, maybe in the future, after football, there can be a career with that,” Mendoza said.
Fernando Mendoza is working with U.S. Bank through a program called Financial Edge. As part of this, he talks about money and learning how to manage it properly. So, when you couldn’t find Mendoza on the football field, try to look out in the Big 4.
