From the Heisman Trophy to the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year, Fernando Mendoza earned several recognitions after leading Indiana football to the first 16-0 season in the modern collegiate football era earlier this year. The former Indiana quarterback added one more award to his collection at ESPN’s 2026 ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, securing the honor for Best College Athlete in Men’s Sports.
The annual ESPY Awards celebrate the top athletes and people in sports with a red-carpet spectacle, similar to the Grammy Awards in music or the Academy Awards in the film industry.
Along with Mendoza, several other members of the Hoosiers’ national championship-winning roster were in attendance for the award show held at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Attendees included wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt, offensive linemen Carter Smith and Pat Coogan, linebackers Aiden Fisher and Isaiah Jones, defensive back D’Angelo Ponds and defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker. Smith, Jones and Tucker are set to return to Indiana for the 2026 season.
During his lone season in Bloomington, Mendoza led the nation with 41 touchdown passes and threw for 3,535 yards. He was selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders after guiding Indiana to an unprecedented season.
Mendoza is the second Hoosier to win an ESPY. Former Indiana basketball player Christian Watford notched the Play of the Year in 2012 following his game-winning three-point shot to defeat then-undefeated and No. 1-ranked University of Kentucky.
Another former Hoosier won Play of the Year, when OG Anunoby secured the recognition Wednesday. The now-New York Knicks forward notched a game-winning tip-in to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals and cap a 29-point comeback –– the largest in finals history. The Knicks went on to win the series and win the ESPY for Best Team, beating out Indiana in the category.
Mendoza was also nominated for this year’s Best Breakthrough Athlete, but gold medalist and figure skater Alysa Liu took home the award.
With a flurry of honors, now including an ESPY, Mendoza will begin his NFL regular season career against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas. However, it remains to be seen if the former Hoosier will be the Raiders’ Week 1 starter.
Meanwhile, Indiana will begin play with a new-look roster without Mendoza under center against North Texas University on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
