Three Indiana football stars have signed with adidas as part of its 14-player 2026 NFL Rookie Class. On Monday, adidas announced the additions of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt alongside a group of projected top NFL Draft prospects.
"adidas has been part of my story since I got to Indiana, so getting to continue that into the next chapter feels right," Mendoza said in a press release. "Coming to Portland with this class and seeing what the brand is building — the innovation, the investment, the people — it reinforced that this is where I want to be. I can't wait to get to work."
The entire adidas signing class includes Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, among several more top college players.
Mendoza, Ponds and Sarratt signed NIL deals with adidas during the 2025 season. Indiana athletics and adidas agreed to a 10-year contract extension in 2024 for adidas to remain as the school's sole apparel and equipment partner.
adidas has built a star-studded collection of football partnerships, including with Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons, Rome Odunze, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, Chris Jones, and more.
Mendoza is the strong favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder helped lead Indiana to an undefeated national championship while becoming the program's first Heisman Trophy winner, Big Ten Quarterback and Offensive Player of the Year, and consensus All-American.
After a strong NFL Combine showing, Ponds is projected to be a Day 2 pick and could hear his name called early in the 2nd round. Ponds, a three-time All-American, recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump, which is the third-highest mark by a cornerback in NFL Combine history.
Sarratt is also projected to be drafted on Day 2, either as a 2nd or 3rd round selection. Sarratt led the nation with 15 receiving touchdowns last season along with 65 catches for 830 yards.
Indiana's Pro Day on April 1 is expected to draw significant attention from NFL scouts and front-office personnel. Twenty-three Hoosiers are expected to participate in IU's Pro Day, including Mendoza, Sarratt, Ponds, Omar Cooper Jr., Pat Coogan, Mikail Kamara, Aiden Fisher, Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, among others.
Below is the full list of adidas 2026 NFL Rookie Class signees:
Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana University
Arvell Reese | LB | The Ohio State University
Carnell Tate | WR | The Ohio State University
Caleb Downs | S | The Ohio State University
Rueben Bain Jr. | DE | University of Miami
Jordyn Tyson | WR | Arizona State University
Makai Lemon | WR | University of Southern California
Kenyon Sadiq | TE | University of Oregon
Jacob Rodriguez | LB | Texas Tech University
Denzel Boston | WR | University of Washington
KC Concepcion | WR | Texas A&M University
D'Angelo Ponds | DB | Indiana University
Jonah Coleman | RB | University of Washington
Elijah Sarratt | WR | Indiana University