The Indiana football quarterback room had a Mendoza line this season, with Alberto backing up his Heisman-winning brother. Here's more about Alberto:
LOS ANGELES — Indiana football kept it all in the family at quarterback this season.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (13-0) have Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza starting at quarterback and his brother Alberto backing him up.
Indiana's coaching staff landed a commitment from Alberto Mendoza while they were at JMU and brought him over with them to Bloomington. He went from winning a state title to visiting IU within 48 hours as a former three-star recruit in the 2024 signing class.
The redshirt freshman was 26-2 as a two-year starter for Christopher Columbus High School in Florida, and a perfect 10-0 in the postseason that included victories in back-to-back state titles. He finished his career with 4,596 yards, a completion percentage north of 70%, 57 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Former Indiana quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri told Alberto he was a "hidden gem" in his class.
Indiana football's Alberto Mendoza played key role in brother's Heisman campaign
Fernando Mendoza had IU's playbook in his hands right after committing as a Cal transfer thanks to his brother. He's credited Alberto for helping learn the “nuances and intricacies” of the Hoosiers offense throughout the season.
“We do everything together,” Fernando Mendoza said during spring camp. “We watch film together, we get better together, we have tough times together. It’s been great, and he’s been a steppingstone to me learning the offense.”
Alberto, who shared a room with his brother growing up, was happy to be a resource for his brother and earned a shoutout in his Heisman acceptance speech.
"And to my lifelong teammate, Alberto, my brother and closest confidante, the one I trust more than anybody to get through a tough day, tough play, I love you bro," Fernando said. "I love you and thank you for always giving it to me straight no matter the circumstance."
Mendoza brothers made history during 2025 season
Fernando and Alberto became the first set of brothers to throw a touchdown pass in the same game for the same team since 2015 (Brandon and Austin Allen) when they accomplished the feat in the final minutes of a 56-9 win over Kennesaw State.
"To see him out there and operate efficiently with confidence and no hesitation is great," Fernando said. "It really shows he's going to be able to take the next step and be a great quarterback one day."
They scored touchdowns in the same game four more times for the Hoosiers during the 2025 season with Alberto getting extended reps in a series of blowout wins.
Indiana football quarterback Alberto Mendoza's 2025 stats
Alberto threw for 286 yards on 18-of-24 passing with five touchdowns and one interception. He also ran the ball 11 times for 184 yards with a score. He played double-digit snaps in six regular season games and even made a brief cameo in the Big Ten title game when Fernando dealt with an injury scare on IU's opening play.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football's Alberto Mendoza stats, relationship with Fernando
Category: General Sports
