Less than two months from now, Fernando Mendoza will likely be searching for a new home in Las Vegas. He'll likely be teammates with star tight end Brock Bowers, All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby and running back Ashton Jeanty. He might even get to learn from Tom Brady.
Assuming the Raiders keep their No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and Mendoza's pre-draft process doesn't go awry, it's a pairing that makes too much sense. Las Vegas is quarterback-needy, the Raiders just hired a new offensive-minded head coach in Klint Kubiak, and Mendoza is the consensus top quarterback prospect available this year.
So the pick seems like a foregone conclusion despite Mendoza not yet performing on-field testing or workouts. That won't happen this weekend at the NFL Combine, though, as the Raiders and all other NFL teams will have to wait until Indiana's Pro Day on April 1 to get eyes on Mendoza's full skill set.
The wait from now until April might feel like a long time, but the Raiders are already doing their homework this week in Indianapolis. Las Vegas' decision-making brass (sans Brady) has already sat down with Mendoza for their first formal introduction at the NFL Combine.
"I was lucky enough to have a formal interview with the Las Vegas Raiders," Mendoza said. "It was a fantastic interview. Coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays, drew up some plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting. I know they have the prospective number one pick, but anything can happen in the draft and I'm just excited for the opportunity. Whatever team drafts me, I'm going to give everything I've got to them."
At least from Mendoza's perspective, the interview with Las Vegas went well and hit on all the important criterion. That doesn't just mean a grilling of Mendoza, but also the Raiders showing what they can provide and offering a brief glimpse into how Mendoza might fit into their long-term vision.
"They're very football savvy, which is great to see," Mendoza said. "They taught me a play, and they had their whole progression and how they teach their quarterbacks to play. It was very similar to how my Indiana progression was because I'm a very Type A guy and they had all the details of each play — what's your drop, what's your progression? — and that's something I really enjoy."
The Raiders had been poking around and sending front-office personnel to Indiana games for much of last season, but their ensemble grew as it became clear they might be in play for the No. 1 overall pick.
Las Vegas' presence reached a fever-pitch last month at the National Championship game as it sent a large contingency of executives, coaches and scouts to see Mendoza on college football's biggest stage.
Mendoza said he didn't know beforehand that the Raiders would be in attendance for Indiana vs. Miami, but he was excited to receive that news after the Hoosiers won their first national title with Mendoza at the helm.
"I heard they (the Raiders) were there after the game," Mendoza said. "It's great to see from day one all the way to the national championship, more scouts showing up for my teammates, for me, for just everybody in the Indiana organization, and I just think it really signifies how we were able to turn that program around.
"I was excited that was all the scouts were there because it gives my teammates a great chance to play at the next level, which is all of our dreams and a great opportunity."
If Mendoza ends up in Las Vegas, it would also give him direct access to his childhood football idol, Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl Champion and five-time Super Bowl MVP is now a partial owner of the Raiders and believed to have an important voice in high-level decisions, such as the franchise's future at quarterback.
"Who hasn't admired Tom Brady?" Mendoza said. "The guy has more Super Bowl rings than anybody, so that opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin. To be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much.
"I'm all about learning, so from day one, I got to learn a lot and it's going to be a long journey. To potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."
Mendoza's storybook year isn't close to over yet. After becoming IU's first Heisman Trophy winner and leading the Hoosiers to a Big Ten Championship and National Championship, he's now position to be Indiana's first No. 1 overall draft pick.
The next two months will continue to be a whirlwind for Mendoza until draft night arrives. It's nothing he hasn't already experienced in what's been a celebrity-making year for the Indiana quarterback.
"Right now, I'm unemployed, I have no job," Mendoza said with a laugh. "So this is my job interview right now, and like everyone says, it's the most important job interview if your life. So right now I'm just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed April 23rd."