Indiana Football Loses QB Alberto Mendoza to Transfer Portal

MIAMI — Indiana football's quarterback room is officially trending toward being Mendoza-free in 2026.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Alberto Mendoza is entering the transfer portal, according to CBS Sports. Mendoza's decision comes less than nine hours after the Hoosiers defeated Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens

Alberto served as the backup to his older brother, Indiana's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, who's expected to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.

In limited action this season, Alberto Mendoza went 18-for-24 passing for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception across nine appearances. He also proved athletic and capable of making plays on the ground, rushing for 190 yards and one touchdown on just 13 attempts.

Indiana brought in former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover in the transfer portal, which positioned Mendoza to be the backup once more in 2026. Mendoza and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti shared candid conversations about Mendoza's future in the aftermath of Hoover's commitment.

"I think his words were, 'I'll stay a year, but he's got to go out early and then I'm the guy,'" Cignetti told reporters Jan. 17. "We'll see what happens there with Alberto. I think he's got a good future. I like him a lot as a player. We'll see what the future holds."

Indiana quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer told Indiana Hoosiers On SI before the Rose Bowl that Mendoza made strides with "everything" from his freshman to redshirt freshman season, aided, in part, by Fernando's presence.

"I think he learns from every single rep from his brother," Whitmer said. "So, just all the things I'm teaching in that room, he helped reinforce. And so he's able to get some reps, obviously, but also learn from him through mental reps. He's just really improving in his confidence and experience."

According to CBS Sports, Georgia Tech is "among the early teams to watch" to land Mendoza's services.

Indiana's national championship-winning roster carried five quarterbacks, and apart from the Mendoza brothers, the other three are slated to return. Backup signal caller Grant Wilson has a seventh year of eligibility, and true freshmen Jacob Bell and Maverick Geske redshirted this season.

Alberto Mendoza did, however, present the highest-caliber backup quarterback among the options and perhaps the one with the brightest long-term future.

Now, Mendoza will look elsewhere in the coming days, while the Hoosiers may need to add another proven veteran to their quarterback room behind Hoover.