Scouting Fernando Mendoza: Why Indiana’s New QB Is a Wide Receiver’s Dream

Welcome back to The McShay Report! Today, we’re continuing our Summer Scouting Series with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who’s been the most pleasant surprise of any college quarterback I’ve studied this offseason and has a real chance at being a first-rounder in the 2026 draft.

If you’re a new subscriber or haven’t read my scouting reports before, make sure to check out the rest of my notes—including tape breakdowns of Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers, and Drew Allar—here.

Next week, we’ll be diving into the tape on Oklahoma’s John Mateer. If you have any questions about my process, or you’re curious about what goes into scouting a quarterback, feel free to reply to this email and we’ll do our best to answer your questions in subsequent newsletters or shows. 

Fernando Mendoza Scouting Report

Mendoza is listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. He began his career at Cal, where he redshirted in 2022. He took over as starter in 2023 (first start on October 7 vs. Oregon State) and completed 63 percent of his passes, with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in nine games played (eight starts). He made a big jump as a full-time starter in 2024, completing 68.7 percent of his passes (265 of 386), with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. He’s played in 20 career games before 2025, with 19 starts. He transferred to Indiana and is set to take over the reins as full-time starter in 2025.

Players are graded on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being best.

Mental Makeup (2)

• Shows toughness in the pocket to deliver the ball while staring down the barrel.

• Cut down on interceptions in 2024 (six interceptions in 11 games in 2024 vs. 10 in nine games in 2023).

• Fast eyes when going through full-field reads. Sees the whole field.

• Very good instincts when on the move. Very comfortable outside the pocket.

• Biggest knock is impatience at times. Bails too early from the pocket too often. Predetermines his passes at times and gets the ball out before deciphering the post-snap picture.

• Can get loose with carrying the ball when scrambling (a strip sack against FSU is one example). Needs to clean that up.

Accuracy (1.5)

• The thing that stands out most is Mendoza’s ability to put his wide receivers in the best positions to make a play on the ball. Excellent job with touch, timing, trajectory, and placement. Excels at exploiting defensive backs when their backs are turned to him by perfectly placing the ball over the top on deeper routes and at the edge of the sideline on back-shoulder fades.

• I really like his ball placement and trajectory on a variety of throws (anticipation, intermediate, back shoulder, verticals, etc.).

• Impressive accuracy when rolling right. Not as efficient rolling left, but overall, he’s more effective and accurate as a passer on the move than his athletic traits might indicate.

• Keeping his feet married to his eyes is an area he needs to refine. He’s a long-levered QB, so it will always be a challenge. But his accuracy dips significantly when he fails to keep a sturdy base underneath him.

Release and Arm Strength (1.5)

• Brings it down the back shoot a bit but has a really quick and crisp delivery. Snap his release. The ball jumps off his hand.

• Really good zip on deep outs and comebacks. Has late energy on the deep ball to drop it in with purpose. Ball doesn’t flutter or sail.

• Throws a beautiful ball. Lots of rotation. Layers the ball nicely. Really good feel for when and how to tweak its trajectory. Very catchable ball.

Pocket Mobility (2)

• Not a dynamic athlete but a very effective scrambler when there’s nothing available via the air.

• He’s tall, with an upright running style. Lacks much wiggle (has tightness), but he’s a fleet-footed athlete for his 6-foot-5 frame, and he has a faster top gear than expected. Shows impressive instincts for when to tuck and run. Can make a defender miss with a quick cut and has a little bit more burst than anticipated.

• Not a serious running threat in the run-pass option game or designed runs (quarterback draws, etc.) but is mobile enough to surprise a defense when it doesn’t account for him (will be interesting to see how much Curt Cignetti and his staff use his running skills in the RPO game at IU this season).

• Highly effective throwing outside the pocket (it really is a strength of his game). But he needs to show more patience inside the pocket at times. I really like his instincts and toughness when he decides to hang in the pocket, but he has a bad habit of aborting too early at times rather than allowing the play to fully develop while going through his full progressions.

Preseason Prospect Status

Mendoza’s a highly skilled pocket passer with a snappy release, energy on the football when required, and impressive touch, timing, and trajectory that he uses to put his wide receivers in the best position to make plays on the ball. He also has high-level instincts and toughness in the pocket. He’s not a running threat, but he is an underrated athlete who thrives when rolling outside the pocket and throwing on the move.

Becoming more patient inside the pocket and marrying his feet to his eyes as a passer are two of the areas I want to see Mendoza improve this upcoming season.

Although he’ll be playing against a much tougher slate of defensive competition than he faced at Cal in 2024, I believe that Mendoza will thrive in Indiana’s offense, which is similar in many ways to what he ran at Cal. He also has an underrated group of pass catchers in 2025.

By the draft, Mendoza will have been a three-year starter for two different programs—with tougher competition in 2025. If he excels during his first season under Cignetti, there’s a legitimate chance that we’ll be discussing him as a first-round pick in 2026

NFL Comp: Jared Goff, Lions

They have similar touch, placement, and ability to change arm slots. Both are tough in the pocket. Mendoza has very good natural pocket presence when patient with his reads (although he needs to break the habit of bailing too early at times). Knows when to buy time and when he absolutely must get the ball out. Willing to hold on to it until the last split second to buy wide receivers separation time. Throws a catchable ball. Excellent trajectory and gives wide receivers the best opportunities to make plays on the ball. Plus arm, but not in an elite class. And like Goff, he’s not a run threat but not a statue. Mendoza is a better athlete. Goff was a considerably more refined passer at a similar point in his career.

From the Scouting Notebook: A bonus inside look at some of the stream-of-consciousness notes I took while watching Mendoza’s film. (These are intentionally unedited!)

Auburn

9:51 1Q: Hangs tough in pocket. Beautifully placed B-S fade LT SL.

7:46 1Q: Really nice touch and placement EZ fade RT rail. Ball high with DB’s back turned, allowing WR to make play on ball.

2:10 1Q: Nice job climbing pocket when sensing pressure (drops eyes momentarily… monitor for trend?). Locates open WR while moving forward—easy throw on target.

15:00 2Q: Rolls RT. Delivers strike to crossing receiver while two defenders converge and take him to ground. Not pretty athletically but just enough to extend and buy time before impressive throw under circumstances.

7:50 2Q: Nice high placement for WR to go up and get ball on quick fade RT rail.

4:48 4Q: Third-and-6. Nice job taking off running for first down. But appears to sprain his ankle after awkwardly stepping OOB’s.

Florida State

6:50 1Q: Beautiful high placement on go-route down LT rail. REALLY EXCELS ON THESE PERIMETER THROWS.

5:14 2Q: ZIP on the run! Rolling RT from own EZ. Ballsy throw under circumstances. DRILLS it before DB can recover in zone.

1:27 2Q: BAD READ – doesn’t see nickel undercutting WR over the middle. Easy pick!

12:53 3Q: Love this throw (from pocket). Drills it LT side to crosser. Perfectly timed (with three zone defenders in area). Shows the energy he gets on ball and ability to place it (in stride) 20+ yds downfield to his LT.

11:40 3Q: Long-levered guy. Shows up here. Feet not married to eyes. Can’t get his feet back set when progressing from LT to MDL. Ball badly off-target on easy throw.

3:50 3Q: Drills 12-yd out rolling RT!

3:10 4Q: Climbs properly to avoid pressure. Long run. Average speed but enough. Good slide at end to protect body.

1:20 4Q: Loose with ball carriage when trying to escape pocket. Strip-sack from behind.

Miami

5:32 1Q: Okay anticipation. But really good zip on out route LT.

4:25 1Q: Identifies broken cvg quickly. Knows when to put it on the target (TE87 here). Just a seed! TE87 takes it to the house.

14:49 2Q: Boot RT. Post backside (LT). About 50 yards in air. Proper trajectory and puts it on the WR. Long completion down to the 5YL.

2:40 3Q: Daniel Jones–type athlete here. Not pretty, but makes free rusher miss. Takes off running. Builds speed. Not as fast as DJ but similarities here (where defense underestimates cuz it ain’t pretty!).

***Couple layups in this game that he’s off the mark. Just keep an eye on it.

LATE GAME MIAMI not his best. Nothing egregious but seemed a bit hurried on a couple missed opportunities on final drive to try to get Cal in FG range trailing by one point.

0:26 4Q (trailing 39-38): Moved in pocket, feet seemed unnecessarily rushed—came up short on throw 25-yard throw outside numbers.

0:16 4Q: Tries to step up into defender. Off-balance and getting hit – ball off-target.

Pittsburgh

***Rushed in pocket on a couple drop backs early in game

11:00 1Q: Really nice throw under pressure (skinny post).

3:50 2Q: Drills out route RT with pressure on him and feet not set. Velocity without base!

1:43 2Q: Trajectory was off on RT rail shot. Usually better than this throw.

12:10 3Q: Qk trigger, under pressure, rips the slant b/t two defenders. Good stuff.

0:47 4Q: TRAILING BY 2 points. Looks a bit hurried unnecessarily in pocket. Slides left but doesn’t bring feet underneath him. Throws off-balance (but doesn’t need to) and misses target on deep post (and into cvg).

0:38 4Q: Almost throws pick. Sliding left and doesn’t get feet under him again. Either overshoots WR or throws into double coverage. Either way, should have been picked.

0:38 4Q (says :38 seconds on clock again? Maybe pre-snap flag previous play?) – Overshoots deep out LT. Under pressure but would love to have this one back in this moment!

NC State

14:09 1Q: Rolls RT, throws back LT deep shot—way off-balance – and underthrows badly. Bad decision. Lucky the DB couldn’t get back to the ball.

9:06 1Q: Climbs, throws a dart to in-route on the climb. Nice ball.

15:00 2Q: Good decision to tuck/run. Shows some juice getting up the field. Picks up 17-18 yds.

14:05 2Q: DB is undercutting crosser, not a great decision to throw this ball. Should’ve been picked.

4:59 3Q: Doesn’t see DS driving on flat. Gets away with another one here (incomplete).

11:19 4Q: Rolls LT, steps back, locates open target while maneuvering. Nice improv here.

TRAILING BY 1pt 4Q:

5:23 4Q: Another nice improv. Rolling RT, throws back over middle to wide open target – RAC for nice gain on second-and-21.

4:25 4Q: Nice read to TE in soft spot of zone. Easy rip to the LT side. Keeps offense moving

***Drives them down to the 10YL but missed FG?

— Lose game 24-23. That’s four one-score losses in a row (FSU, Miami, PITT, NCST). THEY WIN NEXT TWO VS. OREST and WFU (score 90 combined points)

Syracuse

6:45 1Q: INT over the middle. Doesn’t see LB dropping into zone.

3:50 1Q: Underthrows deep LT rail shot. 2nd INT of afternoon (1Q)!

9:04 2Q: Doesn’t see LB dropping AGAIN. Almost throws 3rd INT but got lucky the LB drops it.

***TRAILING 27-2 early and ugly start for him personally! How does he RESPOND???

3:52 2Q: Nice B-S rail shot RT for chunk completion.

2:49 2Q: Really nice strike into soft-middle of zone. Drills it under pressure

0:28 2Q: Rolling LT, taking a hit, but delivers ball to open WR to extend drive

***Must’ve turned ball over on downs or missed FG? But no points scored. 27-7 still at halftime.

13:57 3Q: Climbs and delivers over middle under pressure.

12:45 3Q: Delivers over middle again—he has figured out zone defense soft spots

12:16 3Q: Nice job rolling RT and hitting out-route for 1st down on third-and-5.

11:05 3Q: Climbs, escapes grasp of defender and makes a nice off-balance completion.

***Impressive overall first drive of 3rd QTR after rocky start!! Score is now 30-14

**Nice two-play sequence of long run and touch pass to corner of EZ to make it 33-23 with 1:01 remaining. Hit 2PT conversion to make it 33-25, but that’s the final score.

Stanford (his final game of season)

12:58 2Q: Long run (50+ yds). Best run I’ve seen all season. He’s got some sneaky juice when he gets going. Long legs, builds speed.

11:30 2Q: Nice B-S touch/placement in EZ for TD

1:02 2Q: Drills the ball middle field. Keeps 2-min drive rolling

0:34 2Q: Climbs, slides, waits, bad decision into cvg—gets away with INT.

***Get no points to end half.

2:49 3Q: BEAUTIFUL Deep RT rail shot. Perfect placement along sideline. Outstretched tips.

14:51 4Q: Look at ENERGY on this throw. Comeback route RT (18 back to 15). FROM LEFT HASH to RT SL!

10:31 4Q: TRAILING 21-10. Climbs, throws off-balance. Hits open target at the 3YL and walks in for score. CAL NEEDED THIS DRIVE.

***GET BALL BACK trailing 21-16 on OWN 2YL 7:45 remaining 4Q:

7:35 4Q: Drills out-route RT

6:34 4Q: Extends play with feet and finds open WR

5:02 4Q: 4th and 2, keeps drive alive by moving in pocket and hitting TE underneath

4:44 4Q: Great seam shot. Looks LT, then back to RT.

3:01 4Q: Great throw for TD. Looks LT, back RT. Throws while getting hit and layers ball perfectly for TD (despite WR getting PI).

THAT WAS GAME WINNING DRIVE (24-21 final).