Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza just led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national title, and the EA Sports video game “College Football 26” showed just how much he’s respected right now. According to Indiana’s X post, the game CFB 26 gave Fernando Mendoza a 99 overall.
CFB 26 allows people to play as college football teams. They bring the rosters of all Football Bowl Subdivision programs into the game, so through franchise mode or an exhibition game, you can play as any team in the FBS. You can even create your own player and simulate a career as a collegiate athlete.
Many people will be wanting to play as the Indiana Hoosiers now. Mendoza becomes the highest rated player in CFB 26, ahead of Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Miami’s Rueben Bain. He’s the only player to be rated 99 overall this season, a distinction that former Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter also earned in CFB 25 after a Heisman season.
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It’s absolutely deserving. Mendoza won the Heisman after racking up 3,535 passing yards, an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns, six interceptions and an FBS-best 90.3 QBR. He passed for eight touchdowns and ran for another in three College Football Playoff games.
Now, Mendoza is earning national attention. He captivated the hearts of fans when he appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Thursday. He’s expected to go first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, a pick currently held by the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s hard to believe that he was a three-star quarterback as a recruit, but he enrolled at Cal in 2022. With the Golden Bears, he had 4,712 yards, 30 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He showed flashes of what he was with the Hoosiers, but he went just 9-10 with the Bears before transferring to Indiana in 2025. One season later, that record as a starter is now 25-10.
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