Some College Coaches Praising, Others Criticizing Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders shocked nobody when it selected Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 National Football League draft on April 23.

Mendoza has been long-perceived as the top quarterback in the draft and the connection between the 22-year-old and the Raiders was formed in the middle of the 2025 NFL season. Mendoza looked NFL-ready coming out of college, and he might be, but not everyone is a believer in the kid from Boston.

While many expect Mendoza to be Las Vegas’ franchise guy for years to come, one college coach that faced Mendoza in the ACC when he played at Cal doesn’t think he has what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.

“He's a good decision-maker, but I don't think he's got the NFL traits,” the coach said. “They're all back-shoulder [throws]. That's not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”

This is an interesting take. Mendoza led all of college football with 41 touchdowns and a 90.3 QB rating. He was fourth in the Big Ten with 3,535 passing yards (15th in the nation) and was unstoppable in the red zone; Mendoza threw 27 of his 41 touchdown passes in the red zone and didn’t throw a single interception in that area of the field, showing that he can be clutch and surgical.

Another coach, this time a defensive coordinator from the Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC), is on the fence about Mendoza and thinks time will tell how good he is in the NFL.

“He had a lot of support, lot of help there, so we'll see what he can do,” the defensive coordinator said. “What I was impressed with him is coming up big. You can't teach that, and he has it.”

In the national championship against the Miami Hurricanes, Mendoza displayed his toughness and ability to put it all on the line when he broke several tackles and scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown to put the team up 24-14, the eventual knockout blow for the Hoosiers. Mendoza came up big, and that trait will bode well for him in the NFL.

While those coaches either don’t like Mendoza’s chances or don’t know what to expect from him, a Big Ten coach gave him a lot of praise.

“A Big Ten coach who has spent most of his career in the league said Mendoza is one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has seen,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote Monday. “The coach pointed to Mendoza's scarcity of turnovers or ill-advised throws, and his mix of intelligence, size and movement.”

Mendoza’s coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti, is a big believer in his QB and thinks his arm strength as well as his movement skills are underrated. With his skills, traits and personality, I’m having a hard time buying into the criticisms.