Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza added another highlight to the Hoosiers’ special 2025 season when he became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner Saturday night in New York.
Mendoza, a three-star prospect out of Miami, Fla., in the 2022 recruiting class who transferred from Cal to Indiana after the 2024 season, beat out his fellow finalists — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin — for the prestigious honor.
“I’m at a loss for words. Thank you to everybody,” Mendoza said to begin an emotional six-minute acceptance speech. “I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt a world away. Standing here tonight, holding this (trophy), representing Indiana University still doesn’t feel real.
“If you told me as a kid in Miami that I’d be here on stage holding this prestigious trophy, I probably would have laughed, cried like I’m doing now or both. Because this moment, it’s an honor. It’s bigger than me. It’s a product of a family, team, community and a whole bunch of people who believed in me long before anybody knew my name.”
Mendoza received 643 of the 930 first-place votes, finishing with 2,362 points, well ahead of Pavia, who received 189 first-place votes and 1,435 points. Love had 46 first-place votes and finished in third place (719 points) and Sayin finished in fourth with 432 points and eight first-place votes.
With Mendoza at the helm, the Hoosiers followed up a 12-0 regular season with a 13-10 win over Ohio State last week in the Big Ten Championship game to win the program’s first Big Ten title since sharing it in 1967 and earn the No. 1 overall seed heading into the College Football Playoff.
Mendoza threw a nation-leading 33 touchdown passes this season, completing 226 of 316 passes (71.5%, sixth nationally) for 2,980 yards with just six interceptions. He also ran for 240 yards and six touchdowns.
His signature game of the season was probably his five-touchdown showing in Indiana’s 63-10 rout of then-No. 9 Illinois back on Sept. 20. He completed 21 of 23 passes (91.3%) for 267 yards.
In the Big Ten Championship game, he outdueled Sayin and beat the No. 2 Buckeyes while the other two finalists were not playing games, completing 15 of 23 passes (65.2%) for 222 yards, including a game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt in the third quarter, and an interception.
While Mendoza was the one holding the trophy, he proclaimed his Heisman belongs to the entire Indiana team.
“This is our trophy. I love you guys more than you know,” Mendoza said. “To my linemen who protected me, every receiver and tight end that bailed me out and made me look good, to every running back who fought for more yards and to our defense that gave us that heart, swagger and more second chances that we definitely deserved.
“This trophy might have my name on it, but it belongs to all of you, it belongs, for the first time, in Bloomington. Playing in front of Hoosier Nation is one of the greatest privileges of my life and I’ll carry that forever.”
Mendoza’s lone season at Indiana may have been even more special because he was playing alongside his brother, Alberto, who was his backup quarterback, completing 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one pick.
“My lifelong teammate, Alberto, my brother, my closest confidant, the one I trust more than anybody to get through a tough day, tough play, tough game, I love you, bro. Thank you for always giving it to me straight no matter the circumstance,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza also won the Maxwell (best overall player) and Davey O’Brien (best quarterback) awards Friday night, perhaps foreshadowing the honor which would be bestowed on him Saturday.
He’s the first Cuban-American Heisman winner and just the second of hispanic descent, joining Jim Plunkett.
Mendoza was just the second Heisman Award finalist in Indiana football history, which dates back to 1899. He joins running back Anthony Thompson, who was the 1989 Heisman runner-up.
–Field Level Media
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