HENDERSON, Nev. – The Las Vegas Raiders have signed first round draft pick (1st overall) QB Fernando Mendoza, the club announced Thursday.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback spent his final college season at Indiana (2025) after three years at California (2022-24), appearing in 36 career games with 35 starts and completing 691-of-1,008 passing attempts for 8,247 yards, 71 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
In 2025, Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their first national championship and an undefeated 16-0 season. He started all 16 games and finished 273-of-379 passing (72.0%) for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mendoza was named Heisman Trophy winner, Associated Press Player of the Year, Associated Press All-American First Team, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, and the Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Award winner.
He led the FBS in passing touchdowns (41) and set a single-season school record with a 72.0% completion percentage (third in FBS). Mendoza was the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least a 90.0% and four touchdown passes against Power 4 opponents, while also being the only FBS quarterback with six games of four-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
Mendoza played in 20 games with 19 starts over three seasons at California (2022-24) after redshirting initial collegiate season. In 2024, he started 11 games and threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns against six interceptions. He was a three-time ACC Quarterback of the Week and became just the ninth player in California history to record a 3,000-yard passing season.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honorable mention after playing in nine games and recording 1,708 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.
A native of Miami, Fla., Mendoza attended Christopher Columbus High School, where over his career he completed 224-of-332 (67.5%) passes for 2,222 yards and 29 touchdowns.
View photos from Las Vegas Raiders 2026 first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza's arrival in Las Vegas.
Signage welcoming Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives in Henderson following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with alumnus Jim Plunkett after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with alumnus Fred Biletnikoff after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with alumnus Tim Brown after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with alumnus Marcus Allen after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with President Sandra Douglass Morgan after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza with Head Coach Klint Kubiak and General Manager John Spytek after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek at quarterback Fernando Mendoza's press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek at quarterback Fernando Mendoza's press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak at quarterback Fernando Mendoza's press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza with General Manager John Spytek and Head Coach Klint Kubiak at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza with General Manager John Spytek and Head Coach Klint Kubiak at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza with General Manager John Spytek and Head Coach Klint Kubiak at a press conference following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza poses for a photo after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza poses for a photo after arriving at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters following his selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
