Cal Transfer QB Fernando Mendoza Commits to Indiana

Mendoza led the Golden Bears to a bowl berth and is now reunited with his brother with the Hoosiers

Fernando Mendoza / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza has committed to Indiana, according to multiple news outlets on Tuesday. He will be reunited with his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza, who was a freshman quarterback at Indiana this past season.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mendoza had an outstanding season as a redshirt sophomore for the Golden Bears this past season and now he hopes Indiana coach Curt Cignetti can do the same thing for him that he did with Kurtis Rourke.

Rourke transferred to Indiana from Ohio after spending five seasons with the Bobcats in the Mid-America Conference.  He was a second-team all-Mid-American conference selection in 2023, and he was a second-team all-Big Ten choice this season, behind on Dillon Gabriel. Rourke completed 63.5% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions for Ohio in 2023, and he completed 69.4% of his passes with 29 touchdowns and five picks in 2024 for Indiana. Rourke finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting this year.

Rourke helped Indiana to a surprising 11-1 record in the regular season, helping the Hoosiers earn a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff in Cignetti's first year as their head coach, one year after going 3-9.  Indiana lost to Notre Dame 27-17 in the CFP to finish 11-2.

Mendoza was ranked as the third-best quarterback in the transfer portal by ESPN, and he has two more seasons of college eligibility.

He chose Indiana after visiting Georgia and Missouri. Mendoza also had interest in Wisconsin and UCLA.

Mendoza is expected to win the starting job for the Hoosiers next season with Rourke off to the NFL. Tayven Jackson, who started five games for Indiana as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and one this past season, has entered the transfer portal. Mendoza's brother, Alberto, played in one game in 2024 and completed his only pass attempt for 6 yards.

Indiana's 2025 schedule includes conference games against Oregon, Penn State, Illinois, Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland and Purdue as well as nonconference games agains Kennesaw State, Old Dominion and Indiana State.

He helped Cal to a 6-5 record and bowl eligibility before missing the final regular-season game against SMU. Mendoza’s absence was noticeable in that game as the Bears failed to score a touchdown in a 38-6 loss.

Without Mendoza in the LA Bowl, Cal lost to UNLV 24-13.

Cal was the only FBS school that offered Mendoza a scholarship out of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. He was set to attend Yale before Cal offered him a scholarship at the last minute.

Mendoza became Cal’s starting quarterback in the sixth game of the 2023 season as a redshirt freshman and retained the starting job this season even though Cal brought in experienced quarterback Chandler Rogers, who had been the stater at North Texas in 2023.

Mendoza improved to the point that he is now considered a possible NFL prospect.

He will be remembered at Cal for leading the 98-yard touchdown drive to beat Stanford and become bowl-eligible, and his emotional postgame TV interview.

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