Fernando Mendoza Caps Historic Season with 2025 Manning Award
It’s been a storybook season for Fernando Mendoza, and now it’s got its final chapter: the Indiana quarterback has been named the 2025 recipient of the Manning Award - the only major quarterback honor that factors in postseason performance. From the first snap of the season to the final whistle of the national championship, Mendoza delivered in every way imaginable, and now he adds one more accolade to a year that already feels legendary.
Presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Manning Award has been recognizing college football’s top quarterback since 2004. But Mendoza’s win is more than just another name on the list - it marks the first time an Indiana quarterback has ever taken home the honor. And given what he accomplished this season, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting recipient.
Let’s start with the obvious: Mendoza didn’t just lead Indiana to a national title - he led them to their first national title. And he didn’t just win; he dominated.
The Hoosiers ran the table, going 16-0 - a feat never before achieved in FBS history - and Mendoza was at the heart of it all. He was named a unanimous All-American, took home the Heisman Trophy, and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors.
But the Manning Award? That’s the cherry on top, as Mendoza himself put it.
“If you can picture a sundae,” Mendoza said, “winning a national championship is the ice cream, the Heisman is a little bit of whipped cream, and the Manning Award is really the cherry on top. It wouldn’t be complete without the Manning Award as it’s the only award that recognizes postseason feats, and I believe that’s the most recognized for quarterbacks - how they perform in the postseason.”
And perform he did. Mendoza’s playoff run was the stuff of legend.
He led Indiana to a win in the Rose Bowl for the CFP Quarterfinal, followed it up with a victory in the Peach Bowl semifinal, and then came home to Miami to finish the job in the title game - a 27-21 thriller over Miami. That final game cemented his legacy, and one play in particular will be etched in Hoosier lore forever.
With Indiana clinging to a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter and facing a fourth-and-four at the Hurricanes’ 12-yard line, Mendoza didn’t blink. On a designed run, the 6-5, 225-pound quarterback leapt over his center, powered through two defenders, ran over a third, and spun into the end zone - absorbing a punishing hit to the back but holding onto the ball for the game-sealing touchdown. It was a play that summed up his season: gutsy, physical, and clutch.
“He’s a complete warrior,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said after the game. “He has the heart of a lion.”
That heart showed up on the stat sheet too. Mendoza led the FBS in passing touchdowns with 41 and topped the Power Four in total touchdowns responsible for (48). He was the only quarterback in the country to post six games with four or more touchdown passes and zero interceptions - a remarkable stat in any era, but especially in today’s high-pressure, high-speed game.
“What a joy it’s been to watch Fernando throughout this season,” said Archie Manning. “He excelled on the field week after week, right down to that fourth-down touchdown run in the national championship that will live forever in Indiana history.
He also conducted himself so well off the field and in interviews. We’re honored to recognize Fernando Mendoza as the winner of the 2025 Manning Award.”
The Manning Award, named after Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, remains unique among quarterback honors because it includes postseason performance in its voting - a key reason Mendoza’s full-body-of-work season stood out. The panel of voters includes national and local media, as well as the Manning family themselves.
This year’s list of finalists was deep, including standout seasons from Carson Beck (Miami), CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Dante Moore (Oregon), Arch Manning (Texas), and Ty Simpson (Alabama), among others. But Mendoza’s combination of production, poise, and postseason heroics made him the clear choice.
The award has now been handed out 22 times, and Mendoza joins a prestigious list of past winners that includes names like Joe Burrow, Bryce Young, Tim Tebow, and Deshaun Watson. The SEC leads all conferences with nine winners, followed by the Big 12 and ACC with five each.
Mendoza’s win also adds another chapter to the legacy of the Manning family, whose college careers laid the foundation for this award. Between Archie, Peyton, and Eli, the trio combined for more than 25,000 yards and 201 touchdowns in college, with each making a name for himself in bowl games before heading to the NFL as top draft picks.
The official Manning Award ceremony will take place in New Orleans, where Mendoza will be honored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl - an organization that’s become a cornerstone of college football tradition. Beyond football, the Sugar Bowl Committee continues to invest in the community, supporting student-athletes and injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy over the past decade.
But for now, the spotlight belongs to Mendoza. A national title.
A Heisman. And now, the Manning Award.
It’s been a season Indiana fans will never forget - and a quarterback performance that deserves to be remembered right alongside the greats.