Is Indiana's Fernando Mendoza the Best QB in the 2026 NFL Draft Class?

If you had Indiana 's Fernando Mendoza at the top of your preseason quarterback rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft, kudos to you.

While many analysts considered Mendoza an intriguing sleeper pick among this year's top passers, there were plenty of other big names at the top of the board heading into the 2025 college football season. Many of those names have struggled to live up to the hype through the first month of on-field action, and even the best of the bunch have been inconsistent at best.

But while the likes of Texas ' Arch Manning and Clemson's Cade Klubnik have fallen off the first-round radar completely, and other preseason favorites like LSU 's Garrett Nussmeier , South Carolina 's LaNorris Sellers , and Penn State 's Drew Allar have yet to emerge as the clear-cut leader in the clubhouse, Mendoza is emerging from dark-horse territory to potential front-runner.

Mendoza's Hoosiers are 5-0 after Saturday's road win over Iowa , an despite the narrow escape against an unranked opponent, Mendoza delivered more evidence that he's loaded with NFL-level traits.

Making these kinds of downfield throws into tight windows will turn the heads of pro scouts all day long:

Ripping lasers down the seam right before getting whacked by oncoming pressure? Yeah, he's got you covered there, too:

Then, with the game tied in the final minutes, Mendoza once again stood tall in front of oncoming pressure to deliver a perfect throw that became the game-winning touchdown:

Mendoza finally threw his first interception of the season Saturday, giving him a 16/1 TD/INT ratio through the first five games of the season. His ability to make big-time throws downfield without turning the ball over on a regular basis is another thing that will be extremely attractive to NFL teams.

There are quarterbacks in the 2026 class who have stronger arms, or bring more athleticism to the table than Mendoza does. But he's making a ton of pro-level throws in tough situations, coming through big in the clutch, and taking care of the football while leading his team to an undefeated record so far this season.

Add it all up and, especially considering what we've seen from the rest of the group this year, you might just have the best quarterback prospect eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.