Raiders' Fernando Mendoza faces criticism from college football coach over NFL readiness

Fernando Mendoza sky-rocketed to the apical of each NFL pundit’s draught committee during the people of the 2025 assemblage shot play arsenic the Indiana Hoosiers standout won the Heisman Trophy and led the schoolhouse to a nationalist championship.

Mendoza’s presumption stayed cleanable arsenic the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 wide prime successful this year’s draft. He volition beryllium tasked with returning the franchise backmost to glory nether caput manager Klint Kubiak and seasoned backmost Kirk Cousins, who is acceptable to service arsenic Mendoza’s mentor.

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Las Vegas Raiders backmost Fernando Mendoza runs done a drill during a rookie minicamp astatine Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

A detractor came retired of the woodwork connected Monday arsenic an anonymous ACC manager told ESPN that helium didn’t judge Mendoza had the "NFL traits." The manager competed against Mendoza erstwhile the backmost was tossing the pigskin astir for the Cal Golden Bears.

"He's a bully decision-maker, but I don't deliberation he's got the NFL traits," the manager told ESPN. "They're each back-shoulder (throws). That's not moving successful the NFL. His receivers made plays to marque him look amended than helium is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off."

FERNANDO MENDOZA, THE NO 1 PICK OF NFL DRAFT TO THE RAIDERS, TASKED WITH RETURNING A LEGACY FRANCHISE TO GLORY

Las Vegas Raiders backmost Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp astatine Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

Mendoza showed grit and determination with immoderate of the throws helium made astatine Indiana. One that comes to caput is the game-winning touchdown walk to Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State.

Cooper made the drawback and an unthinkable toe-tap for the touchdown with 36 seconds near successful the game, which kept Indiana’s imagination play alive.

Raiders wide manager John Spytek said past period helium nixed immoderate speech of trading the No. 1 prime due to the fact that helium was definite Mendoza would beryllium their guy.

"I deliberation immoderate manager is excited to enactment with a big, athletic, talented thrower that is highly astute and a precise driven worker, and that’s been our acquisition with Fernando," Spytek said. "That’s a large starting spot for immoderate quarterback."

It’s the bosom that Mendoza showed passim the season, including successful the nationalist rubric crippled against the Miami Hurricanes, that made him an charismatic imaginable for NFL teams.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected arsenic the No. 1 wide prime successful the 2026 NFL draught by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a quality league astatine the Raiders Headquarters successful Henderson, Nev., connected April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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He had 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes successful his lone play astatine Indiana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.