Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in college football. He beat out Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin for the honor.
Mendoza came from humble beginnings, rated as the No. 134 quarterback in the Class of 2022. Before he earned a late offer from California, he was set to go to Yale and play in the Ivy League. Even after arriving in Berkeley, he had to battle for the starting job each season before finally settling in and breaking out as a sophomore.
After that impressive run, Mendoza became one of the hottest commodities in the transfer portal. Instead of choosing a traditional power, he was sold on Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and a rising program in Bloomington. His brother Alberto was also a quarterback at the school, but the addition of Fernando proved to be one of the greatest in program history.