Mendoza redshirted during the 2022 season.[9] He earned his first career start in week six of the 2023 season against Oregon State.[10] He completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 207 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in a loss to the Beavers.[11] A week later, he was 10 of 17 passing for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a loss to Utah.[12] Mendoza was named the team's starting quarterback heading forward.[13][14] In eight starts as a redshirt freshman, he completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,708 yards and 14 touchdowns, leading the Golden Bears to a 6–7 record and an Independence Bowl appearance.[15]
Entering the 2024 season, Mendoza won the starting quarterback job for Cal, beating graduate transfer Chandler Rogers.[16] In week two against Auburn, Mendoza completed 25 of 36 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bears to an upset win over the Tigers.[17] Mendoza was named ACC quarterback of the week in back-to-back games against Oregon State and Wake Forest, setting career highs in passing yards and completions. His 56 passing attempts against Wake Forest were the most by a Cal quarterback since 2016. On December 11, 2024, Mendoza announced he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal.[18]
Indiana
Mendoza during the 2026 Rose Bowl gameMendoza's Heisman Trophy
On December 23, 2024, Mendoza announced his decision to transfer to play for the Indiana Hoosiers.[19] In the 2025 season opener against the Old Dominion Monarchs, Mendoza completed 18 of 31 passes for 193 yards and scored a touchdown on a five-yard rush as Indiana won 27–14.[20] He completed 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns against the Kennesaw State Owls, leading the Hoosiers to a 56–9 win.[21] Against the Indiana State Sycamores, Mendoza completed 19 of 20 passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for an additional touchdown in a 73–0 win; he did not return to the game after halftime.[22]
Mendoza threw for a career-high five passing touchdowns against the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini on 21 of 23 passing with 267 yards.[23] In a 20–15 win against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Mendoza completed 13 of 23 passes for 233 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.[24] He completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30–20 upset win on the road against the No. 3 Oregon Ducks.[25] Mendoza threw for a season-high 332 yards on 24 of 28 passing while defeating the Michigan State Spartans 38–13.[26] He led the Hoosiers to a 56–6 win against the UCLA Bruins, completing 15 of 22 passes for 168 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, adding a rushing touchdown; he left the game in the third quarter.[27] Mendoza completed 14 of 21 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, with one rushing touchdown, as the Hoosiers defeated the Maryland Terrapins, 55–10.[28]
In a 27–24 road win against the Penn State Nittany Lions, Mendoza completed 19 of 30 passes for 218 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, adding a rushing touchdown; the passing touchdown, to receiver Omar Cooper Jr., came in the final moments of the game to take the lead and was widely described as a "Heisman moment".[29][30] Against the Wisconsin Badgers, he threw his 30th touchdown pass of the season, eclipsing the Indiana single-season program record set by Kurtis Rourke the previous season; Mendoza finished the game 22 of 24 passing for 299 yards and four touchdowns in a 31–7 win.[31] In the final game of the regular season, the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Mendoza completed 8 of 15 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, with one rushing touchdown, before leaving the game in the third quarter; Indiana won 56–3 to seal the program's first perfect regular season in the coldest game ever played at Ross-Ade Stadium.[32]
In the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game against the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, Mendoza threw for 222 yards and a touchdown, leading Indiana to a 13–10 victory and their first Big Ten title since 1967.[33] He was named the game's MVP for his performance.[34] Mendoza led Indiana to its first bowl game win since 1991, defeating the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide 38–3 in the 2026 Rose Bowl;[35] he completed 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns.[36] Mendoza completed 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards and five touchdowns while defeating Oregon 56–22 in the 2026 Peach Bowl.[37] In the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship against the Miami Hurricanes, he completed 16 passes for 186 yards while also rushing for a 12-yard touchdown, leading the Hoosiers to a 27–21 victory and the school's first-ever national title.[38]
Mendoza has a younger brother, Alberto, who is the backup quarterback at Indiana University.[45][46] He is outspoken about his Catholic faith and incorporates daily Mass in his game day routine as well as coordinating team Bible studies on campus at Indiana. He credits them for building camaraderie among him and his teammates.[47][48][49]
Mendoza is an advocate for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and his mother, Elsa, suffers from the disease. Mendoza, alongside his brother, has created multiple menu items at restaurants in the towns of the colleges in which they have played; the money raised has gone to Multiple Sclerosis research. The items include the "Mendoza Burrito" at La Burrita in Berkeley, California, the "Mendoza Bros. Burger" at BuffaLouie's, and the "Mendoza Bros. Cubano" at Gable's Bagels in Bloomington, Indiana.[50][51]
Mendoza considers former NFL quarterback Tom Brady to be his "football idol".[52]
Cultural identity and community representation
Mendoza is of Cuban descent, with all four of his grandparents having been born and raised in Cuba. His grandparents moved from Cuba to Miami in 1959 after the events of the Cuban Revolution.[53] Mendoza cites his Cuban heritage as being a major factor for his and his brother's passion as football players, In a 2025 interview with Indiana University Bloomington news website Peegs.com ", he said, "Alberto and I play football not for ourselves, not for fulfillment and satisfaction of ourselves—we have a lot of whys why we do it for. One of the whys is our mom. Another why is our entire family. Our entire family comes from a Cuban background. All of our grandparents were born and raised in Cuba, and that's something we always take deeply to heart."[54][55]
His success has made him a prominent figure in the Hispanic football community and frequently discusses the influence of his Cuban American heritage. He credits a trip taken to Cuba with his brother during high school as a formative experience which allowed him to better understand his grandparents' immigration to the United States and the sacrifices made to achieve the "American Dream."[56]
He says that his Spanish language skills are conversational rather than fully fluent, yet he delivered portions of his 2025 Heisman Trophy acceptance speech in Spanish to honor his family and provide representation for the growing Latino fan base within college football.[57] Mendoza has emphasized the role of the "prideful and supportive" nature of Hispanic family culture as a cornerstone of his professional stability.[58]
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