The Las Vegas Raiders need a new quarterback, and there’s a lot to like about Fernando Mendoza, who’s considered a consensus lock to join the team as the number-one draft pick this spring.
One of the reasons they like him is because of Mendoza’s accelerated development process, which saw him grow from a college starter with the the California Golden Bears to a star on the Indiana Hoosiers’ team he led to the national championship this season.
It’s the numbers behind that rise that stand out. Mendoza threw 30 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions as Cal went 10-10 overall, and back in 2024 he was rated the 36th-highest passer in college football, which is hardly the stuff of a top pick.
But Indiana coach saw something else in Mendoza that was worth developing. He coached Mendoza’s younger brother Alberto back at James Madison before he took the Indiana job, and the two brothers had one important thing in common.
“Special family,” Cignetti said in a piece written by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. “They were all high achievers.”
That was when Cignetti presented his sales pitch to Mendoza. It included working with then-Hoosiers QB coach, Chandler Whitmer, who now holds the same job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Coach Cignetti really sold me on, we’re going to develop you,” Mendoza said. “‘I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t tell if we’re going to be top 25 in the nation, No. 1, or outside of that top 25. However, I know that I develop quarterbacks. It’s what I do.’”
Mendoza made the jump by working with Whitmer, coach Mike Shanahan and Cignetti, and one thing they worked on right away was Mendoza’s leadership, especially given his struggles with pass-rush pressure.
His execution was related to those struggles, and fixing it was part of the reason Mendoza was able to hold up well against the pounding he took at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes in the championship game.
Another part of his game they worked on was his comfort in the pocket, and Shanahan was instrumental there.
“You can see his comfort level in the pocket,” Shanahan said. "He’s got good feel, and he’ll deliver a great, accurate ball down the field. (He) trusts the protection around him and stays in the pocket. That was one of the points of emphasis that we had for him, and he’s really taken that to heart.”
Whitmer also spoke to his natural arm talent, Mendoza’s deep ball has been rated average, but everything else about his game has improved as he’s honed his timing, footwork and comfort level.
The Raiders will be looking to take these things to the next level if they draft Mendoza, but he’ll face a new array of challenges at the NFL level. Some will be familiar, but the speed of the game won’t be, and that’s the part that’s going to be the most fascinating to watch.