Fernando Mendoza's Top Card Sales Soaring Since Being Selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft
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The NFL Draft was full of questions in 2026, but one answer we absolutely knew going in was that National Championship-winning Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza was going to be the No. 1 pick on draft night.
We are now a week removed from the Draft, and since going No. 1 overall to the Raiders, we have seen five of Mendoza's top 20 highest all-time card sales. These five sales have come from a wide variety of products and rarities.
For a player who wasn't highly thought of coming out of high school, QB134 in his own high school class, to No. 1 pick is quite the journey, and to see these sales is quite impressive on collegiate cards.
One wild hobby twist from NFL drarft night, was coordinated by Topps. After each first round NFL draft pick took their traditional photos with their new team's jersey, Topps immediately jumped in to print the photo on a card and have the player sign their own rare cards right then.
No. 5 - 2025 1st Bowman Chrome True Gold Auto /50 PSA 10 Auto 10
Price: $5,000
The fifth-highest sale for Mendoza since the Draft was his 2025 Bowman Chrome Gold Auto /50 in a PSA 10/10. It is also ranks 20th all-time for a Mendoza sale, which is incredible for an /50 whether it is an auto or not.
No. 4 - 2025 Bowman's Best University Best of '25 Autograph Red Refractor /5 BGS 9.5 Auto 10
Price: $5,025
Another impressive feature of the gold auto from Bowman Chrome is that it nearly equaled the sale for Mendoza's Bowman's Best Red Refractor Auto /5. While Bowman's Best won't carry the same weight as Bowman Chrome, an /50 auto nearly equaling an /5 auto is quite something. That said, the look of Bowman Chrome was just so clean this year.
No. 3 - 2025 Bowman University Chrome Red Shimmer On Card Autograph 4/5
Price: $5,825
The first, and only, raw card on the list is a 2025 Bowman Chrome University Red Shimmer Auto /5 that sold for $800 more raw than a Bowman's Best auto sold as a BGS 9.5/Auto 10.
An impressive draft night sale at $5,825, as it isn't even the true red auto. Regardless, it ranks 14th all-time amongst Mendoza sales.
No. 2 - 2025 Bowman Best University Best of '25 Autograph Superfractor 1/1 BGS 8 Auto 10
Price: $10,586
Our first of two superfractors on the list is his 2025 Bowman's Best Superfractor Auto in a BGS 8/Auto 10 that sold for a little over $10,000 on draft night.
Given some of the prices we've seen for his other 1/1's, this does feel a little low as his second-best card from the Bowman Best product, but it is still good for his 7th-highest all-time sale.
No. 1 - 2025 Bowman Best University Superfractor 1/1 PSA 10
Price: $18,000
The top post-draft sale for Fernando Mendoza is also the only non-auto of the list with his 2025 Bowman Best Superfractor in a PSA 10. The sale at $18,000 makes it his third-highest sale of all-time. An impressive number for a base card, and it shows the power of a PSA 10.
Mendoza's top sale remains his Bowman Chrome Superfractor BGS 9 for $78,000. While a lot of these sales will be dwarfed by the coming licensed NFL products, it shows the incredible staying power the Bowman Chrome University brand has had for college football fans and NFL prospectors.
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Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
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