Fernando Mendoza will attempt to lead the Indiana Hoosiers to a College Football Playoff national championship on Monday evening.
The No. 1 seed Hoosiers will take on No. 10 seed Miami in the College Football Playoff national title game. It's set to be played live at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Kickoff is set for 7:50 p.m. E.T.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has been lauded for his leadership this season. He's made it clear that communication is a priority for him.
“Such an important part is communication,” Mendoza said. “That’s how you really get yourself across the line. That’s how you really portray yourself and give a good impression to another person. That’s something I would recommend to anybody, especially any young sports athlete, is the way that you represent yourself and the way that you’re able to come across to your peers, to your coaches and to, later, ownership, it’s so important on your journey.”
© Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Mendoza being an effective communicator comes as little surprise. He's been standing out both on the field and in the classroom since his high school days.
The Indiana Hoosiers quarterback's GPA is going viral before kickoff on Monday evening.
Mendoza's GPA trends before kickoff
Mendoza had a GPA close to 5.0 coming out of high school. He's an excellent student.
"Fernando Mendoza had a 4.7 GPA out of high school and originally committed to Yale to study economics before decommiting and going to Cal," Darren Rovell shared.
It's very impressive.
Mendoza and the Hoosiers will look to impress on the field on Monday night.