Technically, the Las Vegas Raiders could draft anyone with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft… even if it feels like Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a forgone conclusion at this point.
A no-star recruit who began his college career at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to Indiana in 2025, Mendoza led Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers to their best season in the program’s 139 years of existence. Mendoza helped his team to the most wins in program history on the way to a Heisman Trophy win, with his campaign capped off with a CFP National Championship win over Miami in Miami, mere miles away from his high school, Christopher Columbus.
Talking to reporters at Klint Kubiak’s introductory press conference, owner Mark Davis wasn’t able to get too deep into Mendoza because, again, he isn’t a member of the team until Roger Goodell reads his name off the card. Still, that didn’t stop Davis from congratulating Mendoza on his Natty win, before noting that No. 15 sure does look good in Raiders Black and Silver.
“He looked good,” Davis said. “Yeah, well, he won the National Championship. So that’s a good.”
Elsewhere in his press conference, Davis also commented on why he hired Kubiak, noting that he wants to organically build his team up the right way with an offensive-minded head coach leading a young collection of players. Ashton Jeanty fits that bill certainly, but so does Mendoza, who is widely considered the best offensive player in this year’s class.
Could something come up that changes the Raiders’ plans over the next few months? Sure, anything is possible, but based on Davis’ comments and this widely being considered a one QB draft, it’s safe to assume fans will see a lot more No. 15 jerseys this fall when Las Vegas starts playing football once more.
I asked Mark Davis what he thought about Fernando Mendoza
“He looked good…he won the National Championship so that’s a good thing…” @YourboyQ254 followed up asking about the possibility of a No. 15 returning to Allegiant
“It’s possible” pic.twitter.com/PFz7WvrvMO
— Jesse Merrick – Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) February 10, 2026
The post Raiders’ Mark Davis gives Fernando Mendoza props for National Championship win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
