Fernando Mendoza Wins Big Ten Player of Year, Snaps Indiana Football's 24-Year Drought

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza can add another accomplishment to his LinkedIn profile: 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

The Big Ten announced its offensive all-conference awards Thursday afternoon, and Mendoza became the first Hoosier to win player of the year since Antwaan Randel El in 2001, snapping a 24-year drought.

Mendoza, who transferred from the University of California, Berkeley, to Indiana last winter, also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and won the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award, the first Indiana player to accomplish the latter since its inception in 2011.

The redshirt junior completed 72% of his passes for 2,758 yards and an FBS-best 32 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. He didn't play in five total quarters — third and fourth vs. Indiana State; fourth vs. Illinois; fourth vs. UCLA; fourth vs. Purdue — due to the Hoosiers' commanding lead in each game.

Mendoza continues Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's strong run of successful quarterbacks. During his final three years at James Madison University, three different quarterbacks — Cole Johnson in 2021, Todd Centeio in 2022 and Jordan McCloud in 2023 — were named offensive player of the year while the Dukes transitioned from the FCS's Coastal Athletic Association to the FBS's Sun Belt Conference.

In 2024, Kurtis Rourke, Mendoza's predecessor as Indiana's starting quarterback, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy race.

Cignetti has oft touted Mendoza's progress this season. He's developed his footwork, patience and processing inside the pocket, and Cignetti feels he's been "outstanding" since the Hoosiers' 63-10 win over Illinois on Spet. 20, during which Mendoza went 21-for-23 passing for 267 yards and five touchdowns.

"He's a great leader," Cignetti said Sunday. "He's a great person, highly intelligent. He wants to be a great player. And Tom Brady is his idol. I've never seen a guy put the time in and prepare like he does."

Mendoza won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year over Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who led the conference with a 78.9% completion rate, finished second behind Mendoza with 30 touchdown passes and ranked third with 3,065 passing yards.

The two will meet — both on the field and in person — for the first time at 8 p.m. Saturday, when the No. 2 Hoosiers face the No. 1 Buckeyes for the Big Ten title inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Mendoza has long been familiar with Sayin. They used similar quarterback coaches in high school, and Mendoza has seen clips of Sayin on social media and on film while preparing for common opponents this season.

"I really respect Julian," Mendoza said Monday. "He is so effective and he fits the offense perfectly. I like to say stats aren't everything, but as a quarterback, I would say every quarterback prides himself on completion percentage and his completion percentage is out of this world.

"So, to see that, that's a lot of respect from my part to his of having such a high completion percentage and being able to operate that offense as an x-factor player over there. I believe it's going to be a great quarterback matchup and it's an honor to play against him."

Though Mendoza cleaned house in Big Ten awards, Sayin is perhaps his biggest challenger for the Heisman Trophy. Saturday night's outcome — in terms of both individual and team success — figures to play a central role in deciding college football's top accolade.

But Cignetti wants Mendoza to put honors aside and center his attention on making more Indiana history: Winning the program's first Big Ten championship.

"He'll be ready to go Saturday," Cignetti said. "My big thing is I just want him to focus in on the process so that he can play the best he can Saturday night for the Indiana Hoosiers and nothing else."