Fernando Mendoza had outlined his goal at the Pro Day earlier this month, and it was to become the best quarterback by the time the 2026 NFL season begins in September. That’s a fair target, especially for a national champion who is widely projected to go No. 1 overall.

However, Mendoza was well aware that the transition from college to the NFL was going to be difficult to navigate. There are elements of his college game that still need refinement at the next level. One of the biggest is operating under center. During a recent appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams, he spoke openly about that adjustment.

“I have a lot to improve,” Mendoza told Adams. “I mean, there’s a clip right there of me under canter, and I just try to be pretty, you know, it’s a different game. However, having the under center work and trying to make the run actions look the same as the pass actions is very important and full in the defense and for the West Coast offense. So, I’m just trying to do the best I can in that sense.”

He enters the draft as one of the most decorated players in college football from last season, a consensus first-team All-American, Heisman Trophy winner, national champion, and the FBS leader in passing touchdowns and passer rating.

With a 182.9 passer rating, throwing for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions across 16 games, Mendoza was consistent in helping the Indiana Hoosiers. However, Mendoza operated in a system built heavily around RPO concepts at Indiana, with most of his snaps coming out of the shotgun.

That’s where the adjustment begins. At the NFL level, he’s expected to operate under center far more frequently. And with the Las Vegas Raiders widely expected to take him first overall, that transition becomes even more relevant given the system he’d step into.

Head coach Klint Kubiak comes from the Shanahan-Kubiak tree, which leans on West Coast principles, a wide zone run scheme, and heavy play-action usage. Kubiak’s offense in Seattle last season offers a clear picture. The Seattle Seahawks ranked third in play-action success rate at 57.3%, recorded 14 touchdowns on such plays, and led the league with 0.37 EPA per dropback, according to NFL Pro data.

Playing under that system, Sam Darnold produced 1,560 play-action passing yards on just 88 completions, while averaging a league-best 11.3 air yards per attempt. Just as important, Seattle operated under center on 52.6% of snaps, the second-highest rate in the league.

That’s the shift Mendoza is walking into. He didn’t come from a West Coast, under-center system. He came from a shotgun-heavy, RPO-driven offense. Moving into a timing-based structure that relies on footwork, play-action sequencing, and disguise is a significant adjustment.

Whether his game in college will transition into the NFL is a question only time will tell. However, Mendoza is aware of the gap and is actively working to close it, to be ready by September.

An AFC scout says Fernando Mendoza and Klint Kubiak are a great match

Fernando Mendoza is expected to get all the help needed in his rookie season. The expectation is for the Raiders to draft him and develop him into their franchise quarterback under new head coach Klint Kubiak. And per Tom Pelissero, one AFC scout believes the fit makes sense.

“He deserves to be drafted where he’s going to be drafted, and he’s going to a great place,” the scout said, per Pelissero. “Him and Klint is a great match. He’s worthy of that No. 1 spot. He checks a lot of boxes – the measurables, the size. Good arm, not elite arm, but he’s accurate. He was able to shoulder the whole program there and really had a dream season of him winning the Heisman and getting his team to the national championship and winning that…”

The Raiders, meanwhile, have gone through a significant overhaul, both on the roster and the coaching staff. The team has added a veteran presence in Kirk Cousins on a five-year, $172 million deal, setting up a structure where Mendoza can develop before taking over as the starter.

For now, the expectation is that Mendoza will learn under Cousins before eventually stepping into the QB1 role. And with the draft just days away, the focus now shifts to how that plan officially comes together.