From the time Fernando Mendoza updated his now viral LinkedIn profile to “open to work,” the Las Vegas Raiders have jumped ship to land the Heisman winner. He is seen as a franchise cornerstone and someone Vegas can build around for the next four to five years. With two months to go before the draft, Mendoza is already sending a message of his own to them.

The quarterback has been signaling what he wants his future NFL future to look like, and it starts with the offense built around him. He is making it clear that he expects a system in Las Vegas, a system that fits his game, and not the other way around.

“I love myself 12 personnel, two tight ends. Too attached,” Mendoza said on the February 1st episode of Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley. “Cuz usually you got play action, and it’s nice.”

The 12-personnel system (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) is a mixed look that lets an offense run RPO without stopping, keeping defenses in a pickle. And in Bloomington, this was Fernando Mendoza’s bread and butter. The results were top-notch. The Hoosiers averaged 41 points per clash, and film from the 2025 season shows they threw the ball more than 64% of the time when lined up in this system or heavier sets.

The extra tight end often acted as a trap. He pulled defenders toward the run or RPO movement. That forced secondaries to stack the box with eight defenders, which allowed smooth one-on-one matchups outside for receivers like Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. Mendoza’s biggest strength, elite anticipation, helped a lot. He hit receivers before they even broke on their routes. You saw it clearly in his Heisman-defining drive against Penn State.

While tight end Riley Nowakowski hauled in a key 29-yard catch, most of the damage came from the wideouts: Cooper Jr., Charlie Becker, and E.J. Williams Jr. The same formula worked on the biggest stage. Against Miami in the national championship, Indiana leaned on 12-personnel again to attack a physical Hurricanes defense. Nowakowski played a huge role as both an in-line blocker and an H-back.

One crucial drive featured a 19-yard completion to Charlie Becker out of 12-personnel and ended with a 12-yard designed QB draw for a touchdown. The drive ate up 5 minutes and 39 seconds. That’s why the Raiders’ situation makes so much sense. Las Vegas already has one of the NFL’s best tight end duos in Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Bowers is the movable chess piece that can line up anywhere.

On the other hand, Mayer brings a physical, in-line presence and elite blocking. On top of that, the Raiders are pursuing Klint Kubiak for their head coaching job. His offense leans heavily on RPO concepts, right in Mendoza’s wheelhouse. So if Mendoza does end up in Vegas, it’s not just about the projected $55 million contract. He’d also be stepping into an offense that looks tailor-made for what he does best.

The love for Vegas is visible 

For most college players, just making it to the NFL is the dream. You might generally have options. But things rarely play out exactly how you want. Fernando Mendoza, though, has checked every box this season. He made 34 career starts, took a Big Ten program that had never really mattered on the national stage, and led it all the way to its first-ever national title.

Because of that, NFL teams are lining up. Pretty much everyone wants a piece of him right now. Still, for the longest time, the Raiders have felt like the cleanest fit. Funny thing is, Mendoza has never even been to Las Vegas. When asked about it by Caleb Pressley, he laughed and said,

“Never been to Las Vegas. Love to go if I’m invited to go.”

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Publicly, Mendoza has played it cool. He’s said he’d be grateful to land anywhere, but he hasn’t exactly hidden his admiration for the Raiders either.

“The Raiders have a great culture, a great coaching staff, great ownership group… those are legit guys,” he said.

There’s also the Tom Brady factor. Mendoza has openly called Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, his dream dinner guest and a career role model. And behind the scenes, the feeling seems even stronger. According to reports, Mendoza has gone as far as saying that joining the Raiders would be the best thing that ever happened to him.