Heisman Trophy would be great for Fernando Mendoza's NFL Draft stock
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Of the six different players who won the Heisman Trophy during the span of 2017-2022, all but one became the first overall pick when they entered the NFL Draft.
Dating back to 2013, every Heisman winner except for these three players: 2015 Derrick Henry, 2016 Lamar Jackson and 2020 Devonta Smith was selected in the top two.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the runaway favorite to win the 91st Heisman Trophy this Saturday, so if/when he does, it should solidify his position as a top two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
At least given the recent trends.
Mendoza was already likely a projected top two selection entering this past Saturday night, but the Big Ten title game saw him achieve his second Heisman moment of the season. With the first obviously being the last second comeback win at Penn State on November 8.
When Mendoza converted a key third down with just over two minutes to play, with a 33-yard completion, it was just plain massive. It secured the Hoosiers’ first ever win over a #1 ranked team and the school’s first outright Big Ten title since 1945.
It was another major milestone, in the epic turnaround achieved by second year head coach Curt Cignetti.
The strong front-runner to claim all the coach of the year awards said “it’s a no-brainer decision” to hand Mendoza the Heisman at the Rose Bowl press conference on Sunday.
“I believe that,” Cignetti is quoted by Ratings.org. “You got to look at his on-the-field production, particularly in the most critical moments of the football game and how he’s performed at the end of the game with the game on the line and against Iowa, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and then his overall production numbers.”
“He’s a tremendous human being that does everything really the right way in terms of preparation, community outreach, leadership.”
Mendoza currently leads the nation in TD passes (33) and he’s also the leader among all power four QBs in touchdowns accounted for (39).
PFF gave Mendoza a 92.4 Passing Grade in the Big Ten title game. No other quarterback had a 75 or better grade versus Ohio State this season. So to quote Abba: “There was something in the air that night. The stars were bright, Fernando.”
The 2025 Big Ten MVP did a pre-Heisman Trophy ceremony press conference on Tuesday night.
“The other night, I had trouble falling asleep, so I watched like 10 hours of Heisman speeches,” Mendoza said at the local media opportunity.
“It’s great to hear about great Heisman trophy winners of the past, some of their great speeches and just to really research a topic.
“Because it is the present moment at hand, and I want to make the most of this opportunity and this weekend.”
And winning a Heisman is something that stays with you for life. Just ask the 1998 recipient, Ricky Williams.
“The Heisman trophy in and of itself is wonderful, we celebrated my 25th anniversary (of winning it) this past December,” Williams said in an exclusive with The Sports Bank in 2024.
“It’s cool to be celebrated but the Heisman is a young person’s trophy, literally. I think taking that platform that the Heisman trophy gave me and doing something more with it, that’s relevant to what I’m doing as a 47 year old, is very meaningful.”
Much like Cignetti, Mendoza has greatly exceeded even the optimistic of expectations at IU.
This weekend brings the excitement of “Heismandoza,” which is surreal considering that you didn’t have much hype when he transferred in to Bloomington from California. The Miami native was only ranked the #134 QB prospect in the recruiting class of 2022, according to 247 Sports, upon graduating high school.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Heisman Trophy could clinch a top 2 selection for Fernando Mendoza
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