Fernando Mendoza Selected First Overall by Las Vegas Raiders in 2026 NFL Draft

Jaclyn HendricksFri, April 24, 2026 at 12:12 AM UTC

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Fernando MendozaCredit: Logan Bowles/Getty; Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty -

Fernando Mendoza was selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Heisman Trophy winner was long expected to be the top selection in this year's draft

Las Vegas is looking to the future following a brutal 3-14 campaign in 2025

Fernando Mendoza is headed to Las Vegas.

The former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback was selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, April 23 in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mendoza, 22, received the life-altering phone call from the Raiders at home in South Florida instead of taking in this year’s draft festivities from Pittsburgh. He was joined by friends and family, including his mother Elsa, who has multiple sclerosis.

Fernando Mendoza was the quarterback for the Indiana HoosiersCredit: Michael Reaves/Getty

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner who won the College Football Playoff national championship earlier this year, Mendoza was widely expected to land with the Raiders, who dealt last season’s starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to the New York Jets in March.

Las Vegas finished the 2025 regular season with a 3-14 record.

Mendoza now enters a quarterbacks room that includes 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell and veteran Kirk Cousins, who joined the Raiders earlier this month and will earn $20 million in guaranteed money for the 2026 season, according to ESPN.

It remains to be seen when Mendoza will get playing time this season.

Fernando Mendoza in action for the Indiana Hoosiers in January 2026Credit: L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty

Ahead of this year’s draft, Raiders general manager John Spytek made it clear that the quarterback who impresses the most this offseason will earn the starting job.

"Ultimately, this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play," Spytek said, per ESPN. "It's just really hard to play really well at a young age. But we've seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently. We added Kirk, we have Aidan, and we'll see how it goes."

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Mendoza dazzled in his lone season at Indiana, where he tossed for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to a perfect 16-0 season. The quarterback — who spent three seasons with the California Golden Bears before transferring to Indiana — capped off his collegiate career with a 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19.

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Upon reaching the college football mountaintop, Mendoza shared an emotional moment on the field with mom Elsa. The quarterback leaned down to speak with his mom, who uses a wheel chair, before they embraced.

Mendoza spoke earlier this week on The Rich Eisen Show about how his family factored into the decision of taking in the draft from home.

Fernando and Alberto Mendoza with their family in December 2025Credit: Fernando Mendoza/Instagram

"Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it’s a great venue, and I’m really excited to see all the guys or most of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night," he said on Monday, April 20. "However, my mom really wanted to do it at home and so did my parents, it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation."

Prior to the start of this year's NFL draft, it was announced Thursday that Mendoza and his family were partnering with the National MS Society to launch the Mendoza Family Fund, with the quarterback personally committing $500,000 to support MS research at the University of Miami, according to a news release.

With his next chapter in the NFL now underway, Mendoza is eager to tackle the challenges ahead.

"My dream has always been to play in the NFL," he told PEOPLE during Super Bowl week in February. "To now to be able to hopefully accomplish that dream and to hopefully succeed and just get to meet a whole new batch of teammates, coaches and a whole new organization, it's going to be a very special moment."

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Source: “AOL Sports”