The Indiana Hoosiers are ranked number one heading into the college football playoffs for the first time in program history. They will also be accompanied by the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana University was named the 91st recipient of the Heisman Memorial Trophy during ABC’s 2025 Heisman Trophy Ceremony.
“This moment is bigger than me,” Mendoza said. “It is a product of family, team, community and a whole lot of people who believed in me before anyone knew my name.”
Mendoza received 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes, securing a decisive victory and finishing well ahead of the competition. As a redshirt junior, Mendoza is the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy. The highest previous placement for the Hoosiers was second place, achieved by Anthony Thompson in 1989.
Mendoza led in all six Heisman regions, becoming the first to achieve this since Caleb Williams in 2022. He secured 84.66% of the total possible points, ranking seventh among all Heisman finalists and surpassing Charlie Ward’s 83.79% in 1993. Additionally, Mendoza appeared on 95.16% of all ballots, tying with Marcus Mariota in 2014 for the second-highest percentage in Heisman history.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound athlete from Miami, Florida, was named the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year. He was also selected as a first-team All-Big Ten quarterback and played a key role in leading Indiana to the 2025 Big Ten Championship victory over Ohio State, securing a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
He is the 5th to carry the name Fernando Mendoza is his family, the first Cuban american to win the Heisman Trophy and the second winner of latin descent after Jim Plunkett.
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All four of his grandparents were born and raised in Cuba. They relocated from Cuba to Miami in 1959 following the Cuban Revolution. Mendoza attributes his Cuban heritage as a significant influence on both his and his brother’s passion for football.
His achievements have established him as a prominent figure within the Hispanic football community, and he often speaks about the impact of his Cuban-American heritage. He attributes a trip to Cuba with his brother during high school as a significant experience that helped him gain a deeper understanding of his grandparents’ immigration to the United States and the sacrifices they made in pursuit of the American Dream.
Although he describes his Spanish language skills as conversational rather than fully fluent, he delivered select portions of his 2025 Heisman Trophy acceptance speech in Spanish to honor his family and to represent the increasing Latino fan base within college football. Mendoza has highlighted the importance of the proud and supportive nature of Hispanic family culture as a fundamental aspect of his professional stability.
“I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams is worth it,” Mendoza added. “No matter how big or impossible they may seem.”
In his first year at Indiana after transferring from California, Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and secured the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking. He completed 226 of 316 pass attempts for 2,980 yards, leading the nation with 33 touchdown passes, and also totaled 240 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
“This trophy might have my name on it but it belongs to all of you, it belongs the first time in Bloomington,” Mendoza added. “Playing in front of Hoosiers nation is one of the greatest privileges of my life.”
He ranks second nationally in total touchdowns accounted for (39) and in quarterback rating (181.39), and is sixth in completion percentage (71.5%). Mendoza’s 33 touchdown passes set a school season record, as do his five games this season with four or more passing touchdowns.
He recorded a season-high 332 passing yards and four touchdowns in a victory against Michigan State. This year, he completed over 85% of his passes in four different games and threw at least one touchdown in every game except the season opener.
Mendoza was recognized as the AP Player of the Year earlier this week and received the Maxwell, Walter Camp, and Davey O’Brien Awards.
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