Ed Graney: Fernando Mendoza is sort of winner Raiders need

Ed Graney, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan 20, 2026

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — They were all there to take a good, hard, long look at him. All there to see him up close.

All there to check out who just might be their quarterback of the future. Their franchise guy.

The one who would begin the (very) long process of rebuilding.

The Las Vegas Raiders sent their A-team to the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

The owner (Mark Davis). The general manager (John Spytek). The minority owner and guy most assume is in charge of all major football final decisions (Tom Brady).

Brady even wore a Raiders hoodie. Yeah. He’s all-in.

Their interest was in Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and if this is truly the player to select No. 1 in the NFL draft come April.

Mostly, we know this about him: The kid is a winner.

And the Raiders could use a lot more of them.

———

Mendoza and the Hoosiers won their first national title by outlasting Miami, 27-21, before 67,227 fans. Maybe next year — when the CFP final is at Allegiant Stadium — Mendoza won’t have to drive far to attend should he be so inclined.

That’s now all up to the Raiders.

What we really learned about who could very well be the team’s next quarterback: He’s a tough guy who can take a hit. Look no further than the game’s biggest play, a fourth-and-4 quarterback draw that saw Mendoza run over one Miami defender before barreling into the end zone for a score from 12 yards out in the fourth quarter. And the Hoosiers led 24-14.

What we learned about him right there: That he isn’t afraid of the moment.

“If they need me to take shots, in the front or the back, whatever it is, I’m going to die for my team out there,” said Mendoza, who sported a massive bruise down his right forearm. “I know they’re going to do the same for me. We didn’t make it this far not to lay it on the line. No better moment.”

Said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti: “Let me tell you — I know Fernando is great at interviews and is the All-American guy. But he has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition. That guy competes like a warrior. We have a really good quarterback who played his best when the chips were down.”

Mendoza was 16-of-27 passing for 186 yards while constantly being chased and hit throughout. There weren’t many air yards attached to his completions because of all the pressure being faced.

He was still named Offensive Player of the Game, essentially for the plays and throws he made late in twice answering Miami touchdowns with Indiana scoring drives.

Drives that Brady could really respect.

Mendoza is definitely a leader at this level, and he’ll need to be quickly in the NFL if chosen by the Raiders. Brock Bowers is one of the best at his position in the world but the tight end is hardly the most vocal of sorts. Rookie or not, Mendoza would have to take the reins and allow everyone offensively to follow him.

I’m betting they would.

———

This also stood out Monday: Maybe what we got was a preview of what things might look like with Mendoza if Spytek and Brady don’t do their jobs and get some help for what has been a mess of an offensive line.

In other words, you can’t take Mendoza and spend the rest of your draft and free agency on defense. Like any other quarterback, Mendoza is only as good as those along his line.

Look, Mendoza isn’t a savior who can overcome a bad offensive line and struggling organization by himself. He’s a piece, a good piece, an important piece, but not the only one.

They should take him No. 1 and really begin to build around him. It’s a process, for sure.

They were all there to take a good, hard, long look at him. All there to see him up close.

He won. He’s a winner.

He wasn’t perfect but neither are the Raiders. So, so far from it.

“We talked about it a year ago,” Mendoza said. “We’re going to be national champions. This is something we believed in. We did it. We did it.”

Bottom line: If those other pieces are the right ones, if the tandem of Spytek-Brady really understand what needs to be done, Fernando Mendoza can make you better.

And right now, coming off the nightmare of 3-14, how is that a bad thing?