The Hoosiers' Heisman winner hits the big stage-- again.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza steps Into the spotlight on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has already thrived on college football’s brightest stages this season. On Thursday night, he steps into a different kind of spotlight.
Mendoza is scheduled to appear at 11:35 p.m. ET on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, according to a release from NBC. The appearance caps a whirlwind run for the Heisman Trophy winner, who led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season and the program’s first national championship. The first 16-win season over the past 132 years in college football.
The Miami native delivered one of the defining moments of the College Football Playoff title game in Miami Gardens. Facing fourth and 5 in the fourth quarter, Mendoza kept the ball on a quarterback draw, slipped past multiple defenders and dove into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown that gave the Hoosiers a two-score lead.
When Miami threatened late, Mendoza again delivered, converting key third downs with completions to Omar Cooper and Charlie Becker to help drain the clock.
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Mendoza’s rise has been rapid since transferring from California before the 2025 season. Under coach Curt Cignetti, he emerged as the nation’s top quarterback, throwing for 3,535 yards and an IU-record 41 touchdowns while completing 72 percent of his passes.
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At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Mendoza is widely projected as the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with the Las Vegas Raiders frequently mentioned as a potential destination. For now, the Hoosiers star is adding late-night television to a season defined by historic firsts.
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Category: General Sports
