The Cal transfer was drawn to Bloomington by Indiana’s staff. And his brother.
New Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was forthcoming when asked why to chose to transfer to the Hoosiers during a podcast interview with Hoosiers Connect.
Mendoza heaped praise on Indiana’s staff, namely head coach Curt Cignetti, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer.
“The reason IU stood out, and stood out way above the rest, was, the number one factor was development,” Mendoza said. “The development that Coach Cignetti brings, that Coach Shanahan brings and Coach Whitmer brings.”
Mendoza went on to point out all of the previous quarterbacks that played for Cignetti would go on to win conference player of the year awards while praising Shanahan’s offensive acumen and Whitmer’s NFL background. He was clear he’d like to one day play in the NFL himself.
Another draw for Mendoza was the presence of his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza, who was a true freshman during the 2024 season, having joined the program after originally committing to Cignetti’s staff at James Madison.
Listen to Hoosiers Connect’s Player’s Perspective podcast here.