Entering Week 13, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza has the best odds to win the Heisman (+100). Before their tough loss to Oklahoma, Alabama’s QB Ty Simpson was also among the top contenders for the coveted trophy. Interestingly, in an alternate reality, both the QBs could have been at Alabama at the same time. But Mendoza chose Cal over Tuscaloosa. Indiana’s QB1 opened up about how things could have been if that scenario had played out.

The Hoosiers are on a bye this week. Mendoza has been doing the media rounds in the last few days. On November 19, he appeared on The Heisman Trophy podcast. The host, Chris Huston, asked him about the possibility of sharing the QB room with Simpson. Mendoza thinks it would have been funny, especially “with the Heisman Trophy in the background.”

“Because Ty Simpson would have been the scholarship quarterback in the grade. I would have been the walk-on quarterback in that grade,” Mendoza said. Ty Simpson was the No. 2 quarterback in his class (27th overall), while the Indiana QB1 had the 140th overall grade. So, it makes sense that Ty would have received preference in the scholarship decision.

Mendoza also admitted that they regularly go through Bama QB1’s film at Indiana. “We watched a lot of Ty Simpson film here (Indiana) because we played Wisconsin this past weekend, and they played Wisconsin. He’s a great quarterback. And I’ve seen his interviews; he seems like a great guy.”

Indiana is 10-0 and a sure shot for the Big 10 championship game. The playoff picture is also clear. But that hasn’t gotten to Mendoza. He’s humble in success. Even now, when he’s sitting at the top, you see him focused on the ultimate goal, which is to win games for his team. That comes from how he arrived at the top. And it wasn’t easy, to say the least.

Mendoza’s journey saw the ups and downs that every player who wants to have a college career goes through. He impressed scouts in summer camps, but nothing was certain. To make matters worse, the COVID pandemic put a halt to recruiting. Naturally, he felt like he was being left behind. “This kid’s committed here. He’s committed there.” I’m like, “Wow, these kids are really, really good.” You know, like, “Good for them,” he said.

However, Mendoza didn’t let the doubts affect his mindset.

Fernando Mendoza’s recruiting journey

Indiana’s QB1 continued attending camps during his high school senior year. In the Elite 11 regionals camp, his performance earned him a Yale scholarship, and the QB couldn’t be happier. Getting an Ivy League education and playing ball was a ‘fantastic’ opportunity, as he put it. Soon enough, Cal approached. With a Power 4 scholarship knocking at his front door, he could not resist and gave his commitment to the Golden Bears.

At the same time, multiple other programs were also considering him. But they couldn’t quite decide whether to invite him as a walk-on or to provide a scholarship. Among the programs, Alabama offered him a walk-on for the Class of 2022. “There’s a guy named Alex Mortenson, who I believe is a coach at UAB right now,” Fernando added. “He offered me a preferred walk-on at the end.”

Back then, Mortensen was working for the Crimson Tide as an offensive analyst. Mendoza chose the scholarship offer from Cal over a walk-on opportunity at Alabama. He got his opportunity at the Golden Bears in 2023, and since then, it has been a journey to the mountaintop. And here we are.