Top college football quarterback announces new NIL deal with Adidas

Athletic apparel giant Adidas has a significant new addition to its NIL stable of athletes. With top collegiate wide receiver Jeremiah Smith already inked to an Adidas deal, the brand added a top collegiate quarterback. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza recently announced the deal via social media.

An Adidas Addition

Adidas has a lengthy roster of football players who have endorsed the brand, with many of the biggest names being NFL standouts like Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Jaguars DB/WR Travis Hunter. Indiana was an Adidas school anyway, but adding Mendoza specifically is a significant achievement for the brand.

Mendoza's Season to Remember

Mendoza is one of the presumed favorites for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. He has led No. 2 Indiana to a 12-0 season. Mendoza transferred over from California, where after a redshirt season, he passed for 4,712 yards with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions across 19 starts. Perhaps even more impressive, Mendoza managed to graduate from the Univesity of California's business school in three years, according to his own LinkedIn page.

But at Indiana, Mendoza has seen his stats improve, with him completing 72% of his passes for 2,758 yards and 32 touchdowns against just five interceptions. A season ago, Mendoza averaged 7.8 yards per pass attempt, but he's now averaging 9.4 yards per throw with the Hoosiers. Mendoza is second in the nation in QB rating and first in touchdown passes.

Mendoza and the Hoosiers will play top-ranked Ohio State on Saturday in the Big Ten title game. It's a virtual certainty that Indiana will then play in its second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Mendoza's NFL Draft Prospects

After Indiana's season, Mendoza will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. While he theoretically could return for another season of college, the vast majority of Draft predictions place Mendoza firmly in the top ten projected picks, likely in the top five picks. In fact, several mock drafts place Mendoza as the likely No. 1 overall pick. Among the NFL teams most frequently linked to Mendoza are the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns.

Mendoza's NIL Valuation

But for the moment, Mendoza and Indiana are still having a season to remember. Meanwhile, Mendoza's $2.6 million NIL valuation from On3 might be raised a bit higher by his new Adidas deal.