Fernando Mendoza has been a perfect 10/10 player. He won the Heisman; he impressed Urban Meyer and NFL scouts with his football IQ, and his interviews are a wonder in their own right. Now, as he is the clear betting favorite to go as the No. 1 draft pick, an anonymous NFL head coach has given yet another reason why NFL teams are drooling over him.

Colin Cowherd dropped some fascinating intel on his show: “I think Mendoza is about as good a prospect as you’re going to get,” Cowherd said. “And the other thing is, I talked to an NFL coach about him. This person may need a quarterback, but won’t be able to get Mendoza, who will go number one. He won’t be able to move up. And he said, ‘He (Mendoza) is also such an easy player to scout because Indiana runs pro concepts. So you will know, watching his college film, the throws he can and cannot make.’

This is a very good coach who may draft a quarterback in the next two or three years. May not, it’s not urgent. But his take was easy guy to comp. He said, ‘These Big 12 guys like Mahomes, you knew he was talented, but you’re like, what in the hell is that offense? Mendoza is like, they run pros can make that throw, that throw, that throw, that throw. He’s the easiest guy to scout ever.'”

All the credit goes to the offensive system that Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan have installed at Indiana. It is a modern spread attack built on tempo, spacing, and RPO concepts. This mirrors what you see on NFL Sundays. Shanahan’s scheme gives importance to versatility with three- and four-wide receiver sets. They use pre-snap motion to force defenses to reveal their coverages before Fernando Mendoza decides whether to hand off or throw. 

The RPO is the heartbeat of Indiana’s offense, and Fernando Mendoza’s mastery of it has been sublime all season. He’s adept at hiding his intentions until the last possible second. He reads defensive alignments post-snap to determine whether the numbers favor a run or a quick throw behind overly aggressive linebackers. 

Mendoza is the classic drop-back passer every NFL offensive coordinator covets in a QB1. Although Mendoza’s arm strength is best described as above-average, he makes up for his lack of velocity with outstanding timing and anticipation on intermediate throws. That’s music to the ears of any front office executive who’s been burned by college quarterbacks running gimmick offenses that don’t translate to Sundays.

In a draft process, teams are constantly trying to project how college players will adapt to NFL schemes. So, having a quarterback who’s essentially been running NFL-lite concepts for two years is like finding a unicorn. It removes so much of the guesswork and evaluation risk that typically comes with drafting signal-callers.​

The Jets’ path to redemption runs through Bloomington

The New York Jets are sitting pretty with the No. 1 overall pick after a disastrous 2-11 season. And all signs point to Fernando Mendoza hearing his name called first when the draft rolls around in April. The Jets just blew up their roster by shipping off Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis and Quinnen Williams in separate blockbuster trades. It netted them a treasure trove of draft capital that includes two first-rounders in 2026 and three more in 2027.

General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn know they need to hit a home run immediately. Because another losing season probably costs them both their jobs. Sure, they could play it safe and wait until 2027 when the quarterback class might be deeper. But the Patriots just across the division proved with Drake Maye how quickly the right young quarterback can transform a franchise. And the Jets desperately need that kind of salvation.​

Mendoza checks every box the Jets could possibly want in a franchise signal-caller. He is 6-foot-5 with elite mobility. He has a lightning-quick release. And he has the leadership that won him the Heisman Trophy as Indiana’s first-ever winner. He’s got the physical tools and intangibles that make front offices comfortable. For a Jets organization that’s been burned by bad quarterback decisions for decades, getting a plug-and-play franchise guy who’s already fluent in NFL offense is about as close to a sure thing as you can get with the No. 1 pick.​

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