Mac Engel: Fernando Mendoza makes his feelings about the Raiders clear

FORT WORTH, Texas — Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza, fresh off receiving the 2025 Davey O’Brien Award at a Feb. 16 ceremony in Fort Worth, has the NFL’s radar buzzing—and the Las Vegas Raiders firmly in his conversational crosshairs. While the charismatic signal-caller, known for his faith-first interviews and a LinkedIn page that reads more motivational seminar than football résumé, stopped short of a formal trade demand, his message to the Silver & Black was unmistakable: thanks, but no thanks.

Mendoza, described by those close to the program as “the most charming and endearing player in college football,” used the national stage of the award banquet to reinforce the values that have defined his rise—values that appear at odds with the Raiders’ perennially colorful brand. The juxtaposition between Mendoza’s public persona and Las Vegas’ “What happens here, stays here” ethos has become the offseason’s most intriguing draft subplot.

With National Signing Day on the horizon and draft boards still jelling, Mendoza’s stance adds a layer of drama to an already fluid quarterback market. Where he lands—and which franchises he’s willing to call home—will be monitored as closely as any 40-time between now and draft weekend.