‘IU stood out and it stood out way above the rest’: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza analyzes why Indiana football was the right choice for him

Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza was recently featured on the Hoosiers Connect Player’s Perspective podcast.

Mendoza, who transferred to Indiana in the offseason from Cal, shined brightly in his sophomore campaign at Cal, completing 265-of-386 passing attempts for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mendoza also rushed for 105 yards on 87 carries, finding the end zone twice.

Mendoza was one of the top players in the transfer portal, ranking as the third best player in his position group.

With Indiana losing starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke to eligibility, Mendoza was one of the top arms Indiana had its eyes on once the portal opened up.

The relationship was mutual, as Mendoza explained how Indiana caught his attention early on in his decision making.

“The reason that IU stood out and it stood out way above the rest was the development,” Mendoza said. “The development that Coach Cignetti brings, that Coach Shanahan brings and Coach Whitmer brings. All three have worked with phenomenal quarterbacks in the past. Coach Cignetti, four out of the five past quarterbacks he’s had have all been conference players of the year.”

Chandler Whitmer, one of the newest additions to Cignetti’s coaching staff, held a huge presence in Mendoza’s final decision. “Coach Whitmer, coming from an NFL background, to help me develop into my goal into an NFL quarterback one day.”

Whitmer spent the past four years in the NFL, where he worked as an offensive quality control assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers and a pass game specialist with the Atlanta Falcons.

Mendoza believes that Indiana’s playbook fits his style of game, which will allow him to succeed on the field.

“A big reason with Indiana’s offensive system is its variety and how multiple it is and what great detail the offense is and how it develops people for the next level. It developed Kurtis Rourke in that one year… I believe it’s going to do the same for myself… it’s the detail and the way of coaching and the style of coaching which was so attractive.”

Having a strong playbook will certainly be beneficial to Mendoza’s game, but that wasn’t the only enticing part of Indiana’s offense. Mendoza particularly was a fan of Indiana’s offensive weapons.

“Out of all the schools that I was considering, Indiana was number one in that department… you just have so many good guys. I can just go on about all the transfers and all the guys coming back.”

The icing on the cake for Mendoza was the idea of playing with his younger brother Alberto, who just completed his first season with the program.

“To be able to play with my brother for one or two years would be a phenomenal experience and how to be able to live with each other and easier for our family. My brother and I get along, we push each other though… we’re still going to compete and that’s what I love about Alberto, he’s going to be a hell of a quarterback one day.”

While Alberto only completed one pass in 2024, a six yard completion, he is expected to continue to grow and develop under his brother and other transfer quarterback Grant Wilson.

With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Fernando Mendoza is set to be the face of Indiana’s offense for the near future.

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.