Fernando Mendoza could have won the Heisman with the Miami Hurricanes

On Saturday night, Fernando Mendoza from Miami's Christopher Columbus High School became the first Hoosier ever to win the Heisman Trophy, capping a 13-0 season and a Big Ten title for No. 1 Indiana. For Miami fans, the obvious question is simple: how did a Columbus kid with Miami roots turn into a Heisman winner somewhere else, and why wasn't he in orange and green?

Mendoza in high school

Mendoza was born in Boston but raised in Miami and grew up a Hurricanes fan. He played his high school ball at Columbus, Mario Cristobal's alma mater, where he completed 224 of 332 passes for 2,222 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career and earned first-team All-Dade honors.

Despite the modest production and a 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame, he was either a two-star or low three-star prospect in the 2022 class, depending on the recruiting service. Power programs largely passed. Mendoza actually committed to Yale before California came in late with an FBS scholarship offer after losing another quarterback target. Cal wound up being his only FBS offer.

The Hurricanes didn't show interest with an actual offer and the previous UM staff under Manny Diaz only discussed him as a possible walk-on.

Mendoza at Cal

Mendoza redshirted in 2022, then earned the starting job in 2023. As a redshirt freshman he completed 63% of his passes for 1,708 yards and 14 touchdowns. Cal finished 6-7 and made the Independence Bowl.

In 2024, Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing nearly 69% of his attempts. He engineered an upset of Auburn and put together back-to-back ACC quarterback of the week performances. Miami fans got a front-row look that fall. In a late-night game in Berkeley, Mendoza passed for 285 yards and two scores in a near upset of the Hurricanes.

After that season, Mendoza entered the transfer portal.

Mendoza transfers but doesn't go back home

When he weighed his options, Mendoza looked for a system that could turn him into a pro QB. He viewed Indiana under head coach Curt Cignetti as the best fit for his development, even over programs like Georgia and other blue bloods that kicked the tires. Family mattered too as his younger brother Alberto had signed with Indiana in the 2024 class.

Miami came up again in this phase, as Mendoza would have been a logical portal target with deep Cristobal and Columbus ties, but there weren't signs that Miami had serious interest. Obviously, the Hurricanes paid top dollar for QB Carson Beck, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal last season. So, at the time, they didn't think twice about the move.

Mendoza goes to Indiana and wins the Heisman Trophy

In his first year at Indiana, Mendoza mastered the offense. He completed 226 of 316 passes for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdown passes and just six interceptions while adding 240 rushing yards and six more scores.

Mendoza received 643 first-place votes and 2,362 points to beat Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State's Julian Sayin. Indiana has a bye in the first round and is the No. 1 seed in the CFP.

So why didn't Mendoza go to Miami?

This is not a story of a hometown kid turning his back on Miami. It is a story of a hometown kid the Hurricanes never fully invested in, who bet on himself twice, found the right system in the Big Ten and just had it all pay off.

For Miami, Mendoza will be remembered as the quarterback who got away.