Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is in Indianapolis this week for the NFL Scouting Combine. The projected No. 1 overall pick isn’t throwing, but he has been moving from room to room, sitting through formal interviews and chalkboard sessions as teams press him on everything from coverages to character ahead of April’s draft. Those conversations can get odd. But the oddest of all, perhaps, was one team suggesting that instead of wearing a team’s colors, he might be better off landing in the back of a black and white.

“‘Hey, maybe you should get arrested.’ I was a little confused, but then it was like to slide [in the draft],” Mendoza said to CBS’s Aditi Kinkhabwala when asked for the most bizarre question he’s been asked this week by a team. “Hopefully, I don’t get arrested,” he added.

The thinking behind it, as Mendoza explained, was rooted in draft math. If something went wrong publicly close to April, the board could shift without a single trade call being made. Teams outside the top slot rarely move up for a quarterback without sacrificing significant capital, but a late off-field issue can trigger hesitation and cause a slide. In a class that thins out quickly after Mendoza, especially with Oregon’s Dante Moore returning to school, the gap between him and the next tier of prospects such as Ty Simpson, Drew Allar, and Garrett Nussmeier is part of the equation. But, for a franchise drafting later, that hesitation can mean landing a top-tier quarterback without paying the trade cost it would otherwise require.

It would have been a jarring twist if the comment had come from a franchise formally evaluating him for the top pick. But Mendoza was quick to add context before speculation could spiral.

“It was not one of the teams that I formally interviewed with, so I don’t wanna expose the team,” Mendoza added.

The majority of analysts see him as the No. 1 pick, and his resume backs it up. He just captured the Heisman Trophy and led the Indiana Hoosiers to a stunning national title. Moreover, IU finished 16-0 as he completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Still, his path to this point was not always smooth. While his Indiana bio says he was “tabbed the No. 72 quarterback nationally per ESPN,” Mendoza has also said he ranked even lower in high school. But after transferring from California to Indiana, he climbed to No. 3 in ESPN’s transfer quarterback rankings and still had two seasons of eligibility left.

Now the story has flipped completely. After a Big Ten title game win over Ohio State and playoff victories against Alabama, Oregon, and Miami, he sits atop nearly every mock draft. And many believe that the Raiders will be the ones to take him as the first overall pick.

Fernando Mendoza will be happy with the Raiders with the Tom Brady factor

While Fernando Mendoza remains the top favorite for the Las Vegas Raiders‘ first overall pick, he remains humble.

“I was lucky enough to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders,” he said, speaking at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. “It was a fantastic interview. The coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays and did plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting. I know they have the No. 1 pick, but anything can happen in the draft. Excited for the opportunity, and whatever team drafts me, I am going to give everything I got to them.”

Soon after, Mendoza also hinted at Tom Brady.

“There’d be no hard feelings,” he said. “I’m just grateful for whatever team drafts me, whether it’s the No. 1 pick or the 199th pick.”

Of course, the number 199 carries weight because the New England Patriots once used it on Brady, who now holds a minority stake in the Raiders.

“Yeah, I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady? I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody,” Mendoza said. “So, that opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin, and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him would mean so much.”

He revealed that during his formal Raiders interview, he said he was able to say “a brief hi” to Brady on the phone and hopes to meet him in person. Interestingly, Brady was on the sidelines at Indiana’s title win over Miami, though Mendoza did not realize it until afterward.

Now, if he lands with the silver and black, mentorship from one of the greatest ever could soon become a reality for Mendoza.