Has an Indiana player ever won the Heisman Trophy? Fernando Mendoza trying to become first
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Indiana football achieved the previously unimaginable last Saturday, outlasting then-No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game, giving the Hoosiers their first outright conference title since 1945.
With the victory, an Indiana program that entered the season with the most all-time losses among FBS members is heading into the College Football Playoff for a second-consecutive year — and this time, as the No. 1 overall seed and the lone remaining undefeated team at the highest level of the sport.
Few players, if any, have played a bigger role in that run this season than Fernando Mendoza.
The Hoosiers quarterback has been a revelation since transferring over from Cal, throwing for an FBS-leading 33 touchdown passes and rising up 2026 NFL Draft boards, many of which have him projected as the No. 1 overall pick.
This weekend, he’ll be within reach (literally) of college football’s most prestigious individual honor. Mendoza is one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded on Saturday night in New York City.
Should Mendoza find himself hoisting the famous 45-pound bronze trophy, he’ll be making a bit of history for the program he represents.
Here’s a closer look at Indiana’s Heisman Trophy history:
Has an Indiana player ever won the Heisman Trophy?
No, an Indiana player has never won the Heisman Trophy, meaning Mendoza would become the first player in program history to earn college football’s most coveted individual honor.
By merely making it to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Mendoza’s already made a little bit of history. He’s just the second-ever Indiana player to be a finalist for the award and the first since Anthony Thompson in 1989.
Indiana highest Heisman Trophy finishes
Heading into Saturday night, the highest an Indiana player has ever finished in Heisman Trophy voting was Thompson finishing in second to Houston’s Andre Ware in 1989. Thompson received 1,003 points while Ware finished slightly ahead of him with 1,073. It’s the sixth-smallest margin of victory ever for a Heisman recipient.
Mendoza is the seventh Hoosier to finish in the top 10 of Heisman voting. Here’s a full list of Indiana players who made the cut, excluding Mendoza, whose final spot in the voting isn’t yet known:
- Anthony Thompson (second, 1989)
- Bill Hillenbrand (fifth, 1942)
- Vaughn Dunbar (sixth, 1991)
- Antwaan Randle El (sixth, 2001)
- Tevin Coleman (seventh, 2014)
- Kurtis Rourke (ninth, 2024)
Fernando Mendoza stats
In his first and potentially only season with the Hoosiers, Mendoza has completed 71.5% of his passes 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns and six interceptions while averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. He has also rushed for 240 yards and six touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Has an Indiana player ever won the Heisman Trophy? Fernando Mendoza could make history
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