Jadarian Price's fantasy football outlook after Seattle Seahawks take RB in 2026 NFL Draft
Jadarian Price's fantasy football outlook after being drafted by Seahawks.
Fernando Mendoza was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft, becoming the fourth quarterback since 1967 to win the Heisman Trophy, a National Championship, and be the No. 1 pick. He is the first Indiana University quarterback to achieve this feat.
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Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
(Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune)
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in Pittsburgh. With this selection, Mendoza has now joined the exclusive club of legendary quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, and Jameis Winston who have achieved the "Triple Crown" of winning the Heisman Trophy, National Championship, and being the No. 1 draft pick since 1967. The draft event took place April 23-25, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mendoza has now become the first quarterback in Indiana University history to win the Heisman Trophy and be selected as the first overall pick. Mendoza will now have to compete with veteran QB Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas and will receive mentorship from the NFL's "Greatest of All Time" Tom Brady (who is a minority owner of the team).
Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback from Indiana University who won the Heisman Trophy, led his team to a National Championship, and was selected as the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Since 1967, the quarterbacks who have achieved the Triple Crown of winning the Heisman Trophy, a National Championship, and being the No. 1 draft pick include Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, and now Fernando Mendoza.
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Taylor McGregor, a college football reporter for ESPN, asked Mendoza about his incredible journey. In the last five months, he won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, and now he is the first overall pick in the NFL draft. How have the last five months changed his life?
“The last five months has been such a blessing by God, and I can't thank him enough,” Fernando Mendoza said. “I'm just looking forward to get to work, prove at the next level. College was fantastic. I'm so blessed to have that career, but now I step into a great game of the NFL. Look forward to proving and earning it every single day.”
When asked what excites him about the Raiders and this opportunity, Fernando Mendoza said:
“What a great organization, great legacy. There's so many great teammates. I'm looking forward to talking to coaches, owners. I'm ecstatic for the opportunity.”
Mendoza began his college career at the California Golden Bears, from where he joined the Indiana Hoosiers through the transfer portal in the 2025 offseason. Before Mendoza's arrival, the Hoosiers had never experienced a 10-win season, but Mendoza led them to a perfect 16-0 record and their first national championship.
Last month, Raiders General Manager John Spytek said he hopes this will be their last No. 1 pick.
"It [has] to be the last time we ever have [the top draft choice]," he said.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti emphasized Mendoza's work ethic, saying that if there were 25 hours in a day, Mendoza would spend all of them preparing.
The Raiders experienced a major "draft bust" with JaMarcus Russell in 2007, so there's a lot of pressure on Mendoza to succeed.
In December, Mendoza was awarded the Heisman Trophy, making him Indiana's first winner and creating history. In January, he led Indiana to its first National Championship with a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes, a game played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.