Fernando Mendoza Shares Sweet Plan for Heisman Trophy If He Wins

The Indiana quarterback will learn if his name is called for college football’s top honor Saturday night.

Fernando Mendoza is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has taken the college football world by storm. He threw the most passing touchdowns in the nation this season with 33 on his way to becoming a finalist for college football’s top honor, the Heisman Trophy.

He led Indiana to the school’s first 13-0 season, highlighted by the huge 13-10 victory over No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Saturday night, Mendoza will find out whether he is this year’s Heisman winner after he may have had his Heisman moment with a clutch throw to help seal the historic win over the Buckeyes.

Mendoza’s incredible season that brought the Hoosiers to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff is as good a Heisman case as any. Should the California transfer hear his name called in New York City, he has an incredibly thoughtful plan for the hardware.

“It would mean the world, because this would be the first time the trophy would be in Bloomington,” he said via WISH-TV’s Anthony Calhoun. “If I were to win the award, I would want to keep the trophy in Bloomington because it belongs there. That’s what I think as far as everything that Hoosier nation has done for me, even if I had the honor and blessing to end up winning it.

“I think it means so much for the fan base who stuck through the thick and thin, to now the [coach Curt] Cignetti era. Really just to have it there for my teammates, the Hoosier community and all the alumni.”

#IU Nation…this is UNREAL!

Listen to what Fernando Mendoza told me he plans to do with the Heisman Trophy if he wins. @WISHNews8 @IndianaFootball #HeismanTrophy pic.twitter.com/7LX1KLdNQW

— Anthony Calhoun 📺 (@ACwishtv) December 12, 2025

The Athletic’s Chris Vannini pointed out that the Heisman gives one trophy to the player and another to the school, so Mendoza can keep some hardware for himself. A sweet gesture nonetheless. On Friday, Mendoza won the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, taking honors for the nation’s player of the year and top quarterback ahead of the Heisman ceremony.

He’s joined by Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love as Heisman finalists. Next after the ceremony is the CFP, where Indiana has a first-round bye and awaits the winner of No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

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