Raiders Select Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza No. 1 Overall in 2026 NFL Draft

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner who led the Hoosiers to their first national championship, was selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, according to The Associated Press.

The pick capped one of the most decorated runs in recent college football. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 13, 2025, according to the Heisman Trust, then helped carry Indiana to its first College Football Playoff national title. He also became the 26th Heisman Trophy winner to be selected first overall in the NFL draft, according to Heisman and industry draft records. The Raiders had not held the No. 1 overall pick since 2007, according to draft-history reporting.

Mendoza’s lone season at Indiana in 2025 made him the centerpiece of the draft. He completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdown passes and six interceptions, according to ESPN and AP records. He also ran for 276 yards and seven touchdowns, underscoring the dual-threat production that helped push Indiana through the season.

Indiana finished that run with a 27-21 victory over Miami in the national championship game on Jan. 19, 2026, according to the College Football Playoff. The title was the program’s first CFP championship and first national championship, a breakthrough that quickly elevated Mendoza from transfer quarterback to the top pick in the draft. A Miami native, Mendoza played at California before transferring to Indiana for the 2025 season.

Mendoza was not in Pittsburgh for the first round. AP reported that he remained in Miami to celebrate with family and planned to fly to Las Vegas on Friday. The 2026 NFL Draft runs from April 23 through April 25.

For the Raiders, Mendoza arrives in a quarterback room that already includes veteran Kirk Cousins, whom the club signed earlier in the offseason, according to AP-level reporting summarized in research. That gives Las Vegas an established veteran on the roster as it adds the draft’s top selection at the game’s most important position.