Fernando Mendoza
There’s a Lot To Like With Mendoza, but Pocket Presence and Ball Security Need To Be Paramount in 2025
What’s crackin’, folks! We’re rolling through quarterback summer reports as NFL training camps open up. Real football is quickly approaching, but there’s still plenty of time to knock out some preseason film.
College camps will open later this month, and today’s subject is set to start at Indiana after spending his first three years at Cal. That’s right, it’s finally time for my Fernando Mendoza report. I was excited to dive into this guy after he’s gotten so much publicity this offseason.
Mendoza is a redshirt junior who joined Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers this offseason. He appeared in 20 games with 19 starts over the last two seasons at Cal. Mendoza wasn’t the full-time starter heading into 2023, but he started eight games, going 3-5. He threw for 1,708 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions that season.
Cal and Mendoza won the final three regular-season games to finish 6-6 and make the Independence Bowl.
He was named the starter for 2024, and Mendoza took full advantage of the opportunity. He started the first 11 games, throwing for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Mendoza missed the regular season finale, then entered the transfer portal before Cal’s bowl game.
He now joins an Indiana team coming off a CFP appearance. Mendoza will face tough road tests at Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State before facing Wisconsin at home late in the season. There were many things to like on Mendoza’s film, and he’ll have a chance to prove his 2024 performance wasn’t a fluke.
Let’s get into it.
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Report:
Mendoza is an exceptional passer when given time and space to operate, but his game has clear limitations thanks to his mostly average tools. He has good size at 6’5”, 225 pounds, but he will need to get stronger and quicker to avoid traffic in the pocket.
His pocket presence is slightly above average, but Mendoza struggles to extend plays consistently. There are moments of brilliance where he finds a seam to step up and through the pocket, but there were too many instances of not feeling backside pressure or stepping into rushers hanging around the line of scrimmage.
Cal’s offensive line wasn’t great last season, and his average at best speed and quickness can make him a sitting duck in the pocket.
As a passer, Mendoza is solidly above average. His arm strength is borderline excellent, and he can pick defenses apart when his protection holds up. I’d like to see better lower-body mechanics throwing from the pocket, but he routinely delivers throws with a lot of zip to all levels.
He thrives in the intermediate area, confidently throwing strikes to the sideline and between the hashes. Mendoza’s game should translate well to NFL play-action schemes, as he’s highly effective in rhythm and doesn’t lose arm strength or accuracy on designed rollouts.
I love how he throws on the move when he’s on a designed path or moving forward. He keeps the ball down and maintains his high level of accuracy. However, his throws are much less trustworthy if he has a wonky base or gets sped up because of pressure.
Like many QBs I’ve already scouted, I’ll need to see better deep ball consistency in 2025. Mendoza had positive moments throwing fades down the sideline or deep crossers, but balls were typically underthrown or behind the target when he missed. He’ll also have to work on his touch throws next season. That said, Mendoza is still a highly accurate and effective passer.
He’s right on the border of being a next-level processor for me. He’s shown the ability to progress to the backside of plays, but there were some terrible interceptions where he didn’t recognize linebackers dropping into their zones. I wanted to give him a 4 for decision-making, but there were too many bad mistakes to get him to the next level.
I’m confident his processing and anticipation will improve in 2025, but they both have to for Mendoza to solidify himself as one of the best QBs in the class.
He’s not a dangerous running threat, but Mendoza has the awareness and toughness to be effective enough with his legs. Will he necessitate a spy? No, but he can make the defense pay if they give him enough space. He’s typically smart enough to dive or slide at the end of his runs, but he’ll need to limit the number of hits he takes in 2025.
Overall, I like Menodza’s film and passing ability. I can live with his average athletic tools since his arm strength and accuracy are NFL-ready, but his processing and anticipation must be more consistent next season.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Scott’s Substack to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.