WESTCHESTER, Fla. — Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza has become one of college football’s breakout stars this season — a top contender for the Heisman Trophy and one of the leading quarterback prospects for the upcoming NFL draft.
Before leading the second-ranked Hoosiers, Mendoza built his foundation at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he played on a state championship team as a backup before guiding the Explorers through two winning seasons as their starting quarterback.
Columbus head coach Dave Dunn said Mendoza’s maturity and dedication stood out from the start.
“He came into our first meeting with a pen and a notebook,” Dunn said. “Every single meeting he ever attended here, he brought those with him. He was very serious about learning our offense.”
Dunn described Mendoza as a tireless worker and a model teammate.
“Not many young men are wired that way,” he said. “He’s the kind of young man you’d want your daughter to date — just a great person. Everyone here is excited for him.”
Off the field, Mendoza distinguished himself in Columbus’ prestigious MAS program, which counselors say attracts some of the brightest students in Miami-Dade County.
“He always had his eye on how he was going to excel in college — not just on the field, but in the classroom,” said Sylvie Gálvez Cuesta, who mentored Mendoza through the program. “He took rigorous classes and worked hard to balance his workload.”
A Silver Knight Award nominee, Mendoza also found time to tutor, volunteer, and host a podcast. During his senior year, he led one of the school’s most successful Thanksgiving turkey drives, collecting more than 700 turkeys in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Police Department. He also traveled to Santiago, Cuba, on a mission trip to connect with his family roots.
Initially committed to Yale, Mendoza flipped to the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to Indiana, where he joined his brother Alberto. His rise has captivated fans back home in South Florida.
“The Dunn family’s Saturdays revolve around what time Indiana’s game is on,” Dunn said. “We’re all on the couch, cheering for him.”
For Gálvez Cuesta, Mendoza’s success comes as no surprise. “We do not miss a Hoosier game,” she said. “Honestly, Heisman-doza all the way.”
With Indiana sitting near the top of the national rankings, Mendoza’s name has entered serious Heisman Trophy discussions — and some fans back home are already dreaming of the next step.
“For Fernando to be a Dolphin — nothing would make me happier,” Gálvez Cuesta said. “To bring him back home and watch him play at Hard Rock Stadium would be amazing.”
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