QB Fernando Mendoza, along with his young brother, Alberto Mendoza, has started playing collegiate football at Indiana Hoosiers.
Fernando Mendoza is currently in the news for his standout performance against Illinois, where he completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns. This performance showcased NFL-level talent and boosted his draft stock.
While Fernando’s Standout Performances are drawing NFL attention, His Brother, Alberto, Shows Promise as the Next-Generation Quarterback
Born on October 1, 2003, Fernando Mendoza has enamored everyone with his remarkable athleticism, even in his collegiate football career. While Mendoza was just a 3-star quarterback and was not a top recruit, he worked his way up and proved himself at the college level.
After he had a great 2024 season with the California Golden Bears, Fernando entered the transfer portal and chose the Indiana Hoosiers. By choosing Indiana, he received a golden opportunity to grab a lucrative NIL package and play alongside his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza.
Like his older brother, Fernando, Alberto is also passionate about football. Besides being a star player during high school, Alberto is now a redshirt freshman at Indiana and has already appeared in two games.
Moreover, he is a two-time Class 4 Metro Florida Player of the Year and a two-time first-team All-Miami-Dade County selection.
He was also the finalist for Florida Mr. Football as a junior while playing for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Furthermore, after reviewing his high school statistics, Alberto’s athletic prowess becomes more evident.
As a starter, he led his high school team to a 26-2 record and had a career passing record of 4,596 yards and 57 touchdowns.
As a rookie QB at Indiana, Alberto played against Kennesaw State on September 6, 2025. He attempted 3 passes, completed all 3, and gained 35 yards total. He also threw a 6-yard pass to Charlie Becker in the fourth quarter, making his first touchdown pass ever in college.
Then, on September 12, 2025, he played against Indiana State, where he simultaneously threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Brady in the third quarter.
Therefore, Alberto is showing promise as a young quarterback, both passing the ball and occasionally running with it.
Furthermore, the Mendoza brothers are the grandsons of Cuban immigrants. During a 2025 conversation with On3, Fernando expressed his pride in his Cuban heritage.
“All my grandparents were born and raised in Cuba, three in Havana, one in Santiago, and so I’m extremely grateful for all the hardship that they’ve been through coming over and the whole part of being an immigrant, starting from the ground up and really laying a foundation.”
He further revealed how a trip to Cuba with one of his grandfathers was truly fascinating and transformative to him. After that trip, he began appreciating his heritage even more. Additionally, both brothers spent their childhoods surrounded by a strong Cuban community in Miami.
Additional Information
- Fernando Mendoza studies Business Administration and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
- In 2023, Mendoza was the head coach at Next Level Sports, where he coached multiple elementary school teams and introduced fundamental football and leadership concepts.
- He completed internships at various companies, including MasTec, ACRE Investment Company, LLC, and Newmark.
