Fernando Mendoza’s early Heisman buzz faces new competition after Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman backed 20-year-old Jeremiah Smith.

A major endorsement from Brett Favre is putting the Las Vegas Raiders on notice after their recent meeting with top quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza. His on-field achievements were enough to solidify him as the number one pick.

There's no denying that Mendoza has an arresting personality, and the talent the match, and that will lead him to the No. 1 overall pick in April.

The Las Vegas Raiders, a year ago, could not imagine they would be looking at Fernando Mendoza as their future quarterback.

NFL Media Analyst Daniel Jeremiah compares Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Matt Ryan. video Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch runs the 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

Raiders' presumed No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza ranked poorly among other 1st-round QBs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Fernando Mendoza is pretty much the no-question-about-it No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Fernando Mendoza says an NFL team jokingly told him, "Hey, maybe you should get arrested," so he’d slide in the 2026 NFL Draft, even as he’s widely expected to go No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders. Inside his viral combine moment,