Fernando Mendoza openly complimented his most probable NFL destination.
On the “TODAY Show” Friday morning, shortly after officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, the Heisman Trophy winner and recent national champion with Indiana tipped his hat off to the Raiders, who hold the No. 1 overall pick.
It’s a near-certainty that Mendoza will call the Sin City home after his stunning college football season with the Hoosiers, who capped a 16-0 with the CFP National Championship this week.
When host Craig Melvin asked Mendoza where he would like to play, the quarterback showed off his media polish.
“I’d be blessed to play anywhere, and the No.1 pick is a great blessing, but any pick is a fantastic blessing,” he said. “You only need one team to believe in you and so whatever team believes in me, I’m going to give them my most.”
Despite the humble answer, Melvin pushed further when inviting long-time Raiders fan and fellow network co-host Carson Daly into the interview.
Fittingly wearing his black and gray, Daly let the 22-year-old know what he’s in for.
Fernando Mendoza spoke on being drafted as the NO. 1 overall pick by the #Raiders on @TODAYshow.
“The Raiders have a great culture, have a great coaching staff, great ownership group. It’s all around. Those are legit guys. I’d be happy to end anywhere.” pic.twitter.com/zmAT1Web1X
— Luis Mayorga (@LuisNMayorga) January 23, 2026
“Should you end up with us, I’m sorry,” Daly said, as Melvin bursted out laughing while Mendoza smiled and shook his head in disagreement.
“If you can win more than three games, you’re a hero,” Daly went on. “You’ve got [Ashton] Jeanty. You’ve got [Brock] Bowers. We’re going to get an O-line for ya. Should that be the place you land, we’ll take care of you.”
“The Raiders have a great culture, have a great coaching staff, great ownership group,” Mendoza replied. “It’s all around. Those are legit guys. I’d be happy to end anywhere.”
The Raiders certainly feel the same way, as both Raiders owner Mark Davis and minority owner Tom Brady watched Mendoza lead Indiana to a 27-21 victory over Miami in the NCAA title game.
However, despite the optimism from the young QB, the Raiders have some housekeeping to do during the offseason and at the top of their list is naming a new head coach.
The Raiders fired Pete Carroll at the start of the year after a disastrous 3-14 season, which led to the top draft pick.
While it has taken longer than expected for Las Vegas to fill the role, they might be playing the long game in waiting for a coordinator from a team that is deep in the playoffs.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is a favorite for the job, according to be the next Raiders head coach, per prediction market Kalshi.
