Sporting News’ Ranking of ACC Quarterbacks Is Not Kind to Cal

Cal’s quarterback is ranked 18th in a football conference that has 17 teams. Half the projected ACC starting quarterbacks are transfers, but that does not include Cal, which could have a transfer as its starter.

California quarterback Fernando Mendoza gearing up to throw a pass during the 47th Radience / Paul Karge/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Sporting News recently posted a ranking of Atlantic Coast Conference quarterbacks for the 2024 season, and Cal’s signal-callers got no respect.

The Golden Bears’ quarterback is ranked 18th in a conference that will have 17 football schools in 2024.  The Sporting News included Notre Dame in its ACC QB rankings, even though the Irish are not ACC members in football. However, Notre Dame is an ACC member in virtually every other sport and will play five ACC teams in football in 2024.

In any case, Cal’s quarterback situation is ranked last in the ACC.

The Sporting News puts Fernando Mendoza as Cal’s starting quarterback with North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers as his backup. Mendoza is considered the Bears’ No. 1 quarterback this spring, although Rogers is competing for the starting job.

Here is what The Sporting News said about Cal’s quarterback:

18. California

Starter: Sophomore Fernando Mendoza (8 career starts at Cal)

Backup: Junior Chandler Rogers 

Situation heading into the fall: Mendoza started off 2023 as the third-string quarterback, but became a starter in Week 6 and never relinquished the job. The offense scored 40 points in three of his eight games and he finished the season with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Chandler Rogers transferred in after starting at North Texas, but he will need to unseat Mendoza to become QB1.

Interestingly, two quarterbacks Cal faced last season in the Pac-12 are ranked first and fourth in The Sporting News rankings.

Ranked No. 1 is Cameron Ward, who is now with Miami-Fla. When Ward was Washington State’s quarterback last fall, Cal beat the Cougars 42-39.  Ward went 34-for-59 for 354 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (on a Hail Mary pass), but he was sacked six times. Mendoza was 14-for-21 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Sporting News’ No. 4 ACC quarterback ranking went to D.J. Uiagalelei, who is now at Florida State after leading Oregon State to an 8-4 regular-season record that included a 52-40 victory over Cal in Mendoza’s first collegiate start.  Uiagalelei had a big game, going 19-for-25 for 275 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, while Mendoza went 21-for-32 for 207 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Cal will face Uiagaleile and Florida State in the Golden Bears’ very first ACC game, on November 21, and Cal’s second ACC game will be against Ward and Miami on October 5, which will be Cal’s first home ACC game.

Nine of the 18 projected starting quarterbacks in The Sporting News’ ACC rankings are transfers who played at other schools a year ago.  That does not include Cal, which could have a transfer as its starting quarterback if Rogers beats out Mendoza by the time it faces Florida State in its fourth game of the 2024 season.

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