College Football Fans React To Indiana's Massive Quarterback Transfer
12/24/2024 12:32 PM
In what may go down as one of the greatest turnarounds for a Big Ten team ever, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti turned the Hoosiers from a 3-9 squad to an 11-2 national title contender in just his first year at the helm. He had a little help from the transfer portal to get the right men for the job last year and he's getting some more help as we head into 2025.
On Tuesday, multiple outlets reported that California quarterback Fernando Mendoza has committed to Indiana for the 2025 season. Mendoza is coming off a 6-5 season with the Golden Bears that saw him complete 68.7-percent of his passes for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. One of those six wins came in a stunning upset of Auburn.
As for why Mendoza may have chosen Indiana over any other program, there are some familial ties over in Bloomington. Namely, his younger brother Alberto, who was a freshman this past season and threw one pass for them.
"This is a huge pick-up for Indiana. Mendoza is the No. 4 overall player in the portal, and he threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns for Cal this year. His younger brother, Alberto, is a freshman quarterback for the Hoosiers," ESPN's Pete Thamel wrote after reporting the news.
This is a huge pick-up for Indiana. Mendoza is the No. 4 overall player in the portal, and he threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns for Cal this year. His younger brother, Alberto, is a freshman quarterback for the Hoosiers. https://t.co/zKYG3LDkWZ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 24, 2024
Indiana fans were delighted to see that Cignetti could land them such a solid quarterback through the transfer portal, while fans of other teams were shocked that the Hoosiers appear to be truly building a solid team:
"This is awesome news! Indiana is a powerhouse!" one user declared.
"Indiana is gonna be a bigtime problem," another fan wrote.
"Wow! However, they have a very difficult conference schedule next year and may need to win out if they lose at Oregon and at Penn State," a third noted.
For decades Indiana has been the minnow of Big Ten football. They have not won the conference title since the 1960s and have not won a bowl game since 1991.
Granted, those streaks didn't end under Cignetti in 2024, but the success he brought the team has led to renewed support - and financial investment - into the football program and the Hoosiers could be a team to look out for in 2025 and beyond.
Related: Indiana Lands Huge Quarterback Transfer After College Football Playoff Loss
