Indiana football QB Alberto Mendoza, brother of Heisman winner, hits portal
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MIAMI — Indiana football backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother of the team’s Heisman winning starter Fernando, has entered the transfer portal, a source familiar with the situation told The Herald-Times.
While the window closed for the rest of the country on Jan. 16, players on rosters of teams in the national title game have from Jan. 20-24 to enter the portal to leave their current teams, or entertain offers to do so. The Hoosiers prevailed over Miami in the championship game with a 27-21 win.
Mendoza’s departure comes after he told reporters in the days leading up to the CFP title game that he planned on competing for the starting job with incoming TCU transfer Josh Hoover. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti wasn’t as definitive when he addressed the issue at the same event.
“We’ll see what happens there with Alberto,” coach Curt Cignetti said. “I think he’s got a good future. I like him a lot as a player. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Alberto, a former three-star recruit out of the 2024 signing class, committed to Cignetti while he was still at James Madison. One-time JMU and IU quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri told Alberto he was a “hidden gem” in the class.
The Florida native ended up following the staff to Bloomington after going 26-2 as a two-year starter for Columbus High School. He had a perfect 10-0 record in the postseason that included victories in back-to-back state titles and finished his career with 4,596 yards, a completion percentage north of 70%, 57 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
He thrived in Indiana’s backup quarterback spot this year backing up his brother.
Alberto threw for 286 yards on 18-of-24 passing with five touchdowns and one interception. He also ran 13 times for 190 yards with a score. He played double-digit snaps in six regular-season games, with his most recent appearance coming in the Rose Bowl.
The Mendozas became the first set of brothers to throw a touchdown pass in the same game for the same team since 2015 (Brandon and Austin Allen at Arkansas) when they accomplished the feat in the final minutes of a 56-9 win over Kennesaw State.
“They’ve shown they really like me and feel like I’ve developed really well, and think I can be a great player,” Alberto said. “Coach Cig has really emphasized that I have a really bright future.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football’s Alberto Mendoza enters portal after winning CFP title with brother
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