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The Las Vegas Raiders have a Geno Smith problem. After trading for him in the offseason and giving him a contract extension, he has shown major signs of regression. The team is likely stuck with him for at least one more season, but that shouldn’t stop them from drafting his eventual replacements. There are still question marks about the 2025 draft class of quarterbacks, but there are some options with big-time potential. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been one of the biggest stories in college football this year. He transferred to the Hooisiers this year after three seasons at California. He has quickly become one of the best quarterbacks in the country and has led Indiana to a 10-0 record. He’s also tied for the NCAA lead in touchdown passes with 26. Considering he’s 6-foot-5, athletic and has a good arm, he has started to shoot up draft boards. In Nick Baumgardner’s newest 2026 mock draft for The Athletic, he projects the Raiders to take Mendoza with the No. 6 pick. “The Raiders are in position to draft their quarterback of the future while Geno Smith is still on the roster, which would allow them to ease their next passer into the NFL,” Baumgardner wrote. “Mendoza has gotten better every week, flashing as a more athletic version of Jared Goff inside Curt Cignetti’s Indiana offense.” Is Mendoza Heisman Favorite? Mendoza isn’t only flying up draft boards, but he’s also getting major respect in the college football world. With Indiana’s win over Penn State, many are starting to see Mendoza as one of the two favorites to win the Heisman Trophy award, alongside Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who isn’t eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. Fox Sports broke down Mendoza’s odds of winning the Heisman. “The Hoosiers keep rolling. They’re at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten, thanks to Mendoza,” Fox Sports wrote. “He first skyrocketed up the Heisman oddsboard after dropping a whopping 63 points on the Illini in Indiana’s fourth game of the season with a five-touchdown performance. In Week 7, his 215 yards and one touchdown helped topple No. 3 Oregon, and his Heisman odds surged to +600 from +1400. And in Week 11 against Penn State, the Miami native added another Heisman moment to his résumé, leading the Hoosiers to a game-winning drive with just 35 seconds left in the game. In that final drive, he went 5-of-9 for 87 yards and a passing touchdown. No player in FBS is responsible for more TDs (31) than Mendoza.” Is Mendoza Right QB for Raiders? The Raiders haven’t used a first-round pick on a quarterback since 2007, and it’s time to change that. Smith clearly isn’t the future of the franchise. Even if he was playing well, he’s 35, so the team would need a succession plan. Mendoza is certainly the type of player the Raiders could like. He’s got traditional size at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, which is almost identical to Tom Brady’s measurements when he was playing. The fact that he could help lead a program like Indiana, which is a basketball school, to a 10-0 record should also impress NFL teams. Mendoza is the type of quarterback who could turn the Raiders around. If he’s available when the team drafts in the first round, they could certainly do a lot worse.
