NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. –––– Indiana football history was made on Saturday (Dec. 13) night in New York City as Indiana redshirt-junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza was named the 91st winner of the Heisman Trophy by the Heisman Trophy Trust.
Mendoza was presented with the award by Chris Fowler on ABC’s presentation of the ceremony from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City.
Mendoza became the first Heisman Trophy winner from a Big Ten institution since Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith won in 2006.
Other finalists for the trophy included Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
The only other Heisman Trophy finalist from Indiana was Anthony Thompson, who was the runner-up in 1989. Other Hoosier top-10 finishers in the Heisman Trophy voting include Bill Hillenbrand (1942), Vaughn Dunbar (1991), Antwaan Randle El (2001), Tevin Coleman (2014) and Kurtis Rourke (2024).
In addition to the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza has been recognized as the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award, Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year, and the AP College Football National Player of the Year. He has also been named a First Team All-American by The Athletic, Pro Football Focus, Sports Illustrated and is a 2025 All-Big Ten First Team honoree, among other accolades.
Mendoza currently leads the nation in passing touchdowns (33) and is the Power 4 leader in touchdowns responsible for (39). He is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three-straight games of at least four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions – C.J. Stroud (Ohio State; 2021) and Kyle Orton (Purdue; 2004, four straight). The Miami, Florida, native is the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least 90 percent completion and four touchdown passes versus Power 4 opponents.
In 2025, Mendoza is the lone FBS quarterback with five games of 4-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions and entered Championship Week as the FBS leader in percentage of passes that result in a touchdown at 10.9%, over one point higher than the next closest passer (Julian Sayin, Ohio State; 9.2%).
He has thrown a touchdown pass in 12-straight games entering the College Football Playoff and has five games with both a passing and rushing touchdown in 2025. He has thrown 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions, is tied for No. 2 on the team with six rushing touchdowns and has 240 yards rushing on the season.
The Hoosiers earned the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff and will play the winner of Alabama/Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2026. The game from Rose Bowl Stadium will kick at 4 p.m. ET
