Fernando Gabriel Mendoza

Fernando Gabriel Mendoza is a Cuban-American professional football quarterback selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was born on October 1, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts, while his father was completing a medical residency, and grew up in Miami, Florida, where his family settled after his four grandparents emigrated from Cuba following the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

Mendoza began his college career at the University of California. In December 2024, he transferred to Indiana University, where he had a historic season: he became the first player in Indiana history to win the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record and the College Football Playoff National Championship, defeating Miami 27-21 in the title game. During the season, he completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, adding 7 rushing touchdowns.

On April 23, 2026, Mendoza was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, becoming the first Cuban-American quarterback to be taken first overall in NFL history. He chose not to attend the draft ceremony in Pittsburgh in order to be with his mother, Elsa Mendoza, who lives with multiple sclerosis. Mendoza became the fifth Heisman Trophy winner to be drafted by the Raiders, joining Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, and Charles Woodson.