Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza just added another major milestone to a season already packed with headline moments - he’s signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with adidas, the official apparel partner of Indiana athletics. The announcement came via Mendoza’s LinkedIn, and the timing couldn’t be more fitting.
Mendoza is fresh off leading the Hoosiers to a flawless 12-0 regular season - a run that’s turned heads across the college football landscape and put Indiana squarely in the national spotlight. The junior quarterback has been the engine behind one of the most efficient and explosive offenses in the Big Ten, and his numbers back it up.
He leads the conference with 32 touchdown passes and has accounted for 38 total touchdowns when you factor in his rushing scores. Those are Heisman-worthy numbers, and with the ceremony just around the corner, Mendoza finds himself as the slight betting favorite to take home college football’s most prestigious individual honor.
This partnership with adidas positions Mendoza among a growing group of high-profile college athletes aligning with the brand. He joins names like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Miami’s Cam Ward, and Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter - all of whom are making waves both on the field and in the NIL space.
The move also connects Mendoza to a broader adidas roster that includes NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Trevor Lawrence.
For Mendoza, this deal is about more than just the present. With many projecting him as a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft - should he choose to declare - this partnership could follow him into the pros, much like it has for other adidas athletes. It’s a sign of both his marketability and his trajectory.
In a season where Mendoza has already made history for Indiana football, this NIL deal is another signal that he’s not just a rising star - he’s a brand in the making.