Fernando Mendoza has captured the college football world this year, and his performance in the Rose Bowl showcased why he needs to be in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Raiders are once again one of the worst teams in the NFL, as they enter Week 18 as the favorite to get the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
One of the biggest reasons why the team continues to be one of the worst teams in the NFL is because of the quarterback play.
When Pete Carroll became the coach, he brought over Geno Smith hoping he could bring some of the magic the two had together in Seattle. However, Smith has struggled majorly in Las Vegas, and it has become apparent the team has to go a different way.
While it isn't the deepest quarterback class in the upcoming draft, the Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is a no-brainer for the Raiders to do.
Mendoza delivered an epic performance in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, as he threw more touchdowns (3) than incompletions (2) in Indiana's dominating 38-3 victory against Alabama to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The Hoosiers are in the middle of one of the greatest runs in college football history, as Mendoza and coach Curt Cignetti has taken the program to a level that it has never experienced.
Mendoza is an extremely talented player, who is extremely accurate while also being more athletic than given credit for. While he has many of the physical attributes that teams want, it is the intangibles that separates him from many other quarterback prospects.
The NFL Draft combine is where teams and general managers get to talk to the guys, and learn about them on and off the field.
As good as he is on the field, this is where the general managers will fall in love with him. He is a true football junkie. During an appearance on the 'Triple Option' podcast, former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer couldn't hide his assignment with how Mendoza was able to break down the opposing defenses and what they were trying to accomplish.
The Raiders have many wholes on their team, but they have taken a franchise tight end and running back the past two drafts. Brock Bowers is arguably the best tight end in the NFL right now, and running back Ashton Jeanty has shown a ton of promise in his rookie year.
Bringing in a guy like Mendoza is the only move for the Raiders to make, and could finally give the fans an offense to be excited for moving forward.