Staff Picks: Illinois' Luke Altmyer or Indiana's Fernando Mendoza?

One of the sidebars in Saturday's excellent matchup between No. 9 Illinois and No. 19 Indiana – both undefeated and both gunning for a spot in the season-ending College Football Playoff – is the head-to-head quarterback duel fans hope will unfold featuring the Illini's Luke Altmyer and the Hoosiers' Fernando Mendoza.

One is a future pro with the arm, frame and supporting package to put up Nintendo numbers on college football fields in the meantime. The other is Altmyer. All joking aside, Altmyer's experience, accuracy and intangibles close whatever physical gap may exist between he and Mendoza, and within the context of their current environments, picking one over the other seems an impossible choice. Which is, of course, why we had to ask exactly that of our Illinois on SI staffers: Which quarterback do you prefer – Altmyer or Mendoza?

Jason Langendorf: Fernando Mendoza

If the question is which quarterback I want right now, within his respective offense and surrounded by his current teammates, the answer if Altmyer. Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. has created a wonderful sweet spot that allows Altmyer to flourish as the best version of himself, and the deep bench of Illini receivers give their quarterback a multitude of options. But Mendoza is (literally) built for this. If Indiana is able to create a platform that maximizes his skills as Illinois does Atmyer's, he becomes the superior weapon at the controls of an offense.

Top 20 Big Ten showdown between Illinois & Indiana Saturday night 👀

Who ya got: Illini or Hoosiers? pic.twitter.com/LxCrWfPQt4
— CFB Tracker (@MatchupTracker) September 16, 2025

Steve Greenberg: Fernando Mendoza

Altmyer is the steady hand – plus some pretty sweet feet, too – Illinois needs to make a real go of it in the Big Ten this season. A tip of the helmet to him for providing that sort of stability, all too rare in Champaign. But in the big picture, Mendoza is a potential first-round NFL Draft pick, and that, along with his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame, is too compelling to not jump at it. Important note, though: Altmyer has faced better defenses than Mendoza over their careers. There’s always the chance Mendoza will be a big-game bust in the Big Ten.

Fernando Mendoza throws a pass — Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass prior to the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Jackson Langendorf: Luke Altmyer

Mendoza is a surefire first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft (some even expect him to go No. 1 overall) and a next-level talent who possesses certain abilities Altmyer simply does not. That said, one is a tried-and-true winner, while the other has yet to prove himself against top opponents. As was the case back in Week 2 (when Altmyer dueled Duke’s Darian Mensah), the Illini quarterback may fall a tad short in the raw talent race, but his poise, timing and unflappability give him the upper-hand over Mendoza.

Pranav Hegde: Luke Altmyer

Although Mendoza will go into this week's matchup with big numbers and plenty of hype, the edge has to go to Altmyer. Mendoza’s track record against elite competition is shaky – his Cal team was one of just two that Florida State managed to beat last year – while Altmyer has proven himself on bigger stages. Expect Altmyer to remind everyone why he's the preferred man behind center come Saturday.

If you don't know about Luke Altmyer already, you better learn soon 🗣️

The @IlliniFootball star QB shared some fun facts❕ 🏈 pic.twitter.com/F1ntLopP5z
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 16, 2025

Jared Shlensky: Luke Altmyer

Both quarterbacks have a unique skill set, but Altmyer brings a tad bit more to the table than Mendoza. Not only is Altmyer as clutch as they come, but he’s better from the pocket, too. Will that be enough to earn Illinois the W on Saturday? I don’t think so. But Altmyer is slightly better than Mendoza.