Fernando Mendoza, energetic first position defender Indianawon the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football's most prestigious award since its inception in 1935.
Mendoza scored 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes. He beat Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 points), Notre Dame running back Jeremy Love (719 points) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 points).
Mendoza's Heisman victory was emphatic. He finished first in all six Heisman regions, the first to do so since Caleb Williams in 2022. His name was mentioned on 95.16% of all ballots, which tied him with Marcus Mariota in 2014 for second place in the award's history, and he received 84.6% of the total possible points, the seventh-highest total in Heisman history.
“I haven’t seen the numbers yet,” Mendoza said, “but I’m honored to be mentioned with these guys.” [Pavia, Love and Sayin]. This is truly a credit to our team. This is a team award.”
Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their No. 1 ranking and No. 1 seed in the 12-team college football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 touchdown passes while also scoring six scores. Indiana, the last undefeated team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl.
Mendoza, the Hoosiers' first-year starter after transferring from California, is the mastermind behind an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during a surprise CFP appearance last season.
The redshirt junior, once a highly recruited Miami native, became the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. Mendoza became the seventh Indiana player to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman voting, marking another first in program history of back-to-back players finishing in the top 10. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.
As his teammates chanted “HeismanDose” while addressing the media, he said he had a real chance to win the Heisman when the Hoosiers routed then No. 19 Illinois 63-10 on Sept. 20.
“At this moment my boys [team-mates] said we can get to New York [for the award ceremony]”, he said. “It was carefree at the time, but that's when it started. “
The quarterback has won the Heisman in four of the last five years. two-way player Travis Hunter of Colorado ends streak last season.
Mendoza is the 43rd quarterback to win the Heisman and the second Hispanic to win the trophy. Jim Plunkett of Stanford was the first in 1970.
“Even though I grew up in America, all four of my grandparents were from Cuba,” he said. “I had the opportunity to go there and it was important to me. I give a lot of love to my grandparents and the Latino community.”
The Heisman Trophy presentation came after a number of awards had already been presented. Mendoza was named Associated Press Player of the Year earlier this week and received the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards on Friday night, while Love won the Doak Walker Award.
Mendoza and Pavia are prime examples of the changing landscape of college football's transfer portal usage. Mendoza became the seventh transfer to win the award in the last nine years. Vanderbilt is Pavia's third school.
