According to multiple reports, Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza — one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the portal — committed to Indiana on Tuesday. It’s the second straight offseason in which the Hoosiers have been able to acquire one of the most productive and experienced quarterbacks on the market.

Mendoza is No. 4 in The athlete‘s transfer quarterback rankings.

Indiana just posted an 11-2 record and reached the College Football Playoff in coach Curt Cignetti’s first season. This happened with Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, at the helm. Rourke just exhausted his eligibility and replacement Tayven Jackson, who started the Hoosiers’ 31-17 win over Washington, entered the transfer portal over the weekend.

That led to Indiana needing a starting-caliber quarterback. Add Mendoza, who rushed for 3,004 yards as a sophomore in 2024 despite missing the last two games due to injury. He became the Golden Bears’ starter a month into his redshirt freshman season and threw for 1,708 yards in eight starts in 2023. He has some rushing ability, with a season-high 51 yards against Wake Forest this season, but is considered more of a pocket passer.

Mendoza, listed at 6-foot-5, was a two-star prospect in the 2022 class from Miami and ranked No. 140 among quarterbacks in the 247Sports Composite. He originally committed to Yale before being offered by Cal, who ended up getting a bargain. Mendoza’s performances over the last two years have made him one of the hottest names on the transfer market, with Georgia also playing a key role in that recruitment.

Mendoza’s younger brother Alberto was a freshman quarterback at Indiana this season. The Hoosiers just hired Atlanta Falcons passing game specialist Chandler Whitmer as their new quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator, and the NFL experience was likely a selling point as Indiana pursued Mendoza.

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