Looking back at the 2022 recruiting class, Fernando Mendoza's name was nowhere near the top of the cycle's top recruits.
In fact, Mendoza was not even ranked as one of the cycle's top 100 quarterback prospects according to 247Sports.
Four years later and none of that matters now. Mendoza led Indiana to its first national championship, was named the program's first Heisman Trophy winner, and on Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
So just who is Mendoza? Where did his rise to the start come from?
To get those answers, you have to look back at his high school days where Mendoza first got his start at Miami Columbus.
Playing for one of the state's top high school programs, Mendoza earned his first true varsity starts as a sophomore for the Explorers in 2019.
As a backup, Mendoza appeared in the final five games of Columbus' season playing behind starter Brandon McDuffey. He showed potential in those five appearances, completing 77% of his passes for 227 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
The next year, Mendoza was named as Columbus' starter and did not disappoint. While COVID limited their season to only nine games, the Explorers finished the year 9-0. Mendoza threw for 1,086 yards and 13 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
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After his junior season, Mendoza started to pick up offers, albeit from smaller schools. From January to March, he received offers from Penn, Lehigh, and Yale, eventually committing to Yale on August 4, 2021.
The following season, Mendoza completed his high school career, leading Columbus to a 9-4 record. His senior season numbers were comparable to his junior season, as he completed 63% of his passes for 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions.
During that season, no Power Four programs extended an offer to Mendoza, so he remained committed to Yale. That changed in January of the following year, when he picked up an offer from California on January 28, 2022.
Mendoza would decommit from Yale three days later. He committed to Cal on February 1 and signed with the Golden Bears a day later.
In a quarterback class headlined by five-star talents like Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Conner Weigman, and Ty Simpson, 247Sports ranked Mendoza as a three-star prospect, the No. 134 quarterback in the cycle, and the No. 250 player in Florida.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park.
1 / 12Fashion and football meet in Pittsburgh on the NFL draft red carpetNotre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Fernando Mendoza's rise from unranked to top 2026 NFL draft pick