Fernando Mendoza hit with major leak days before NFL Draft; alleged GPA scores out

Less than a month before the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza is making headlines

Published on: Apr 6, 2026, 03:03:45 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Less than a month before the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza is making headlines. The Heisman winner is expected to go as the No 1 overall pick to the Raiders on April 23. The 22-year-old will visit Las Vegas on Tuesday and might even do a bit of training. However, there is some bad news for the Indiana Hoosiers star.

Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers speaks to the media during the 2026 IU Pro Day (Getty Images via AFP)

It appears like Mendoza's GPA scores were leaked on social media. It was revealed that he capped off his college career with an eye-catching 4.86 GPA.

Fernando Mendoza's elite GPA

The potential future Raiders QB graduated high school with a reported 4.86 GPA, taking on a demanding workload that included 12 Advanced Placement courses. In his senior year alone, he handled six AP classes, pushing his weighted GPA beyond 5.4, as per reports.

The 22-year-old was initially committed to Yale to study economics, but later chose UC Berkeley, where he earned a degree from the Haas School of Business. After transferring to Indiana University, he pursued an MBA at the Kelley School of Business - all while leading the football program at the highest level.

Only LinkedIn and YouTube

Reports also suggest a highly disciplined lifestyle, with Mendoza keeping only LinkedIn and YouTube on his phone.

The quarterback's standout 2025 season included a 72% completion rate, 3,232 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Across his college career, Mendoza reportedly posted:

68.6% completion percentage

8,247 passing yards

71 passing touchdowns

22 interceptions

473 rushing yards

11 rushing touchdowns

Kirk Cousins vs Fernando Mendoza

Meanwhile, earlier this week, veteran Kirk Cousins joined the Las Vegas Raiders, where he is expected to team up with Mendoza. The 37-year-old was released by the Atlanta Falcons after two disappointing seasons in which he was supplanted by young signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.

Speaking at the NFL's annual league meeting this week, Kubiak said he would prefer Mendoza to initially learn from a veteran quarterback, rather than stepping immediately into an NFL starting role.

"In a perfect world he's watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team," said Kubiak.

"He might come in and have to play immediately, but you'd rather him learn before he gets in the game."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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