Heisman Trophy Awarded to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza
Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza has made history by becoming the first player from the university to receive the prestigious Heisman Trophy, which is a significant honor in college football.
Mendoza garnered 2,362 first-place votes, surpassing his closest competitor, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who received 1,435 votes. Other notable contenders included Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love with 719 votes and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sain, who received 432.
This season, Mendoza played a pivotal role in leading the Hoosiers to their inaugural No. 1 ranking and the top seed in college football, throwing for 2,980 yards, along with a remarkable 33 touchdown passes—making him the nation’s leader in that category—and six rushing touchdowns. Indiana University stands as the last remaining unbeaten team in major college football and is set to compete in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on January 1st.
Having transferred from California, Mendoza is in his first year as a starter. He has been instrumental in an offense that has exceeded previous program records for touchdowns and points, which were established during a surprising run to the College Football Playoff.
The Miami native, who was once overlooked in recruitment, becomes the second Heisman finalist in Indiana’s history, following 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. The Heisman Trophy has been awarded since 1935.
Mendoza’s achievement marks him as the seventh Hoosiers player to land in the top 10 of Heisman voting, and notably, he is the first from the program to achieve this back-to-back, as last year, quarterback Curtis Rourke placed ninth.
Interestingly, quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman award, winning it in four of the past five years, while Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who played as both wide receiver and cornerback, took home the trophy last season.
Earlier this week, Mendoza received several honors, including the Associated Press Player of the Year, and he also won the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award on the preceding Friday. In contrast, Love secured the Doak Walker Award.
