The Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock - and they might’ve just gotten a front-row seat to their future.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft locked up after a 3-14 season, Raiders ownership made sure to be in the building Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Mark Davis and Tom Brady - yes, that Tom Brady, now a minority owner and reportedly a key voice in the franchise’s decision-making - were spotted in attendance for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The reason? To get an up-close look at the quarterback widely expected to go first overall: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
And make no mistake, Mendoza has earned that spotlight.
At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, the redshirt junior has been nothing short of electric in his breakout season. He completed 73 percent of his passes while racking up 3,349 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. But it’s not just the numbers - it’s how he’s elevated his game when the lights have gotten brightest.
In the College Football Playoff, Mendoza has been on another level. Against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, he was surgical in a 38-3 blowout win. Then came the Peach Bowl, where he faced Oregon and fellow top QB prospect Dante Moore - and that’s where Mendoza left no doubt.
While Moore stumbled out of the gate with a pick-six on the first play and struggled to find rhythm, Mendoza stayed locked in. He finished the game with more touchdown passes than incompletions. That’s not hyperbole - that’s the kind of postseason dominance that cements you as QB1 in a draft class.
Moore, despite being a projected first-rounder himself, ultimately decided to return to Oregon for another year after that performance. With just 20 starts under his belt, the 20-year-old will look to refine his game before making the jump. Meanwhile, Alabama’s Ty Simpson is considered the next-best quarterback prospect in this class, but he’s not expected to challenge Mendoza for the top spot.
So now, all eyes are on Mendoza - and in particular, the eyes of the Raiders.
Las Vegas is once again in the market for a head coach after parting ways with Pete Carroll after just one season. And while the coaching search will dominate headlines in the coming weeks, the quarterback question looms just as large. This is a franchise that has been searching for stability under center for years, and Mendoza might finally be the answer.
But Monday night wasn’t just about evaluating talent on paper. It was about seeing how Mendoza handles the moment - and how he performs against NFL-caliber defenders.
Miami’s defensive line, led by potential first-rounders Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, is as good as it gets in the college game. They bring relentless pressure and could very well simulate the kind of chaos Mendoza will face on Sundays.
If he thrives under that kind of heat, it won’t just reinforce his draft stock - it’ll give the Raiders exactly what they came to see: a quarterback who’s not just ready for the NFL, but ready to lead a franchise.
And with Brady watching from the stands, you better believe Mendoza knows the stakes.