Fernando Mendoza Headlines CFP Top 50 as Indiana’s Historic Season Continues
The College Football Playoff is loaded with talent, but there’s no debate at the top: Fernando Mendoza is the guy. ESPN just dropped its list of the top 50 players in the CFP, and sitting at No. 1 is Indiana’s quarterback and newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner. Even the SEC-centric world of national media couldn’t look past what Mendoza has done this season - and frankly, who could?
Let’s put it in perspective. Mendoza’s 2025 campaign wasn’t just impressive - it was historic.
He led Indiana to its first-ever Big Ten title in 58 years, its first undefeated season in 80 years, and snapped a 37-year losing streak to Ohio State. Those are program-altering milestones.
And now, he’s the first Hoosier ever to win the Heisman Trophy. That’s not just writing history - that’s rewriting the entire Indiana football narrative.
Mendoza edged out some serious talent to take the top spot on the CFP list. Right behind him is Ohio State’s electric wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, followed by Texas Tech linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin rounding out the top five.
But Mendoza didn’t just make headlines - he made Indiana football matter on the national stage. A junior out of Miami, Florida, Mendoza transferred from Cal after two seasons under Justin Wilcox and immediately changed the trajectory of the Hoosiers’ program. He threw for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, guiding Indiana to the No. 1 seed in the new 12-team CFP format.
His accolades are piling up. First Hoosier to win the Davey O’Brien Award.
First Indiana player ever to be ranked No. 1 in any national player ranking like this. And now, the most prestigious individual honor in the sport - the Heisman.
To understand how rare this is for Indiana, consider this: before Mendoza, the best finish a Hoosier had in Heisman voting was Anthony Thompson, who came in second to Houston’s Andre Ware in 1989. Mendoza didn’t just surpass that - he shattered the ceiling.
As for the rest of the Hoosiers, while Mendoza is the only Indiana player in the top 15 (and top 10, for that matter), he’s far from the only standout. Left tackle Carter Smith comes in at No. 17, anchoring an offensive line that gave Mendoza the time and space to operate at a Heisman level.
Beyond Smith, Indiana placed five more players in the top 50:
- Elijah Barrett, wide receiver, No. 22
- Louis Moore, safety, No. 28
- Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver, No. 32
- D’Angelo Ponds, cornerback, No. 34
- Aiden Fisher, linebacker, No. 47
That’s seven Hoosiers total on the list - a clear sign that this team isn’t just a one-man show. Mendoza may be the face of the program, but he’s surrounded by a core that has elevated Indiana to a level it’s never reached before.
Next up? The Rose Bowl.
Indiana will face the winner of tonight’s Alabama-Oklahoma clash in Pasadena on January 1. That game - a rematch of their earlier meeting this season, when Oklahoma edged out a 23-21 win - will decide who lines up opposite the Hoosiers in one of the most iconic venues in college football.
For Indiana fans, this moment is surreal. For the rest of the country, it’s time to take the Hoosiers seriously. And for Fernando Mendoza, it’s just another chapter in what’s becoming one of the most remarkable stories in recent college football history.