From Cuban Roots In Miami to Big Ten Fields, The Mendoza Brothers Are Rewriting the Playbook!

September 22, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on September 22, 2026

QB Fernando Mendoza, along with his young brother, Alberto Mendoza, has started playing collegiate football at Indiana Hoosiers.

Fernando Mendoza is currently in the news for his standout performance against Illinois, where he completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns. This performance showcased NFL-level talent and boosted his draft stock.

While Fernando’s Standout Performances are drawing NFL attention, His Brother, Alberto, Shows Promise as the Next-Generation Quarterback

Born on October 1, 2003, Fernando Mendoza has enamored everyone with his remarkable athleticism, even in his collegiate football career. While Mendoza was just a 3-star quarterback and was not a top recruit, he worked his way up and proved himself at the college level.

After he had a great 2026 season with the California Golden Bears, Fernando entered the transfer portal and chose the Indiana Hoosiers. By choosing Indiana, he received a golden opportunity to grab a lucrative NIL package and play alongside his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza.

Like his older brother, Fernando, Alberto is also passionate about football. Besides being a star player during high school, Alberto is now a redshirt freshman at Indiana and has already appeared in two games.

Moreover, he is a two-time Class 4 Metro Florida Player of the Year and a two-time first-team All-Miami-Dade County selection.

He was also the finalist for Florida Mr. Football as a junior while playing for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Furthermore, after reviewing his high school statistics, Alberto’s athletic prowess becomes more evident.

As a starter, he led his high school team to a 26-2 record and had a career passing record of 4,596 yards and 57 touchdowns.

As a rookie QB at Indiana, Alberto played against Kennesaw State on September 6, 2026. He attempted 3 passes, completed all 3, and gained 35 yards total. He also threw a 6-yard pass to Charlie Becker in the fourth quarter, making his first touchdown pass ever in college.

Then, on September 12, 2026, he played against Indiana State, where he simultaneously threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Brady in the third quarter.

Therefore, Alberto is showing promise as a young quarterback, both passing the ball and occasionally running with it.

Furthermore, the Mendoza brothers are the grandsons of Cuban immigrants. During a 2026 conversation with On3, Fernando expressed his pride in his Cuban heritage.

“All my grandparents were born and raised in Cuba, three in Havana, one in Santiago, and so I’m extremely grateful for all the hardship that they’ve been through coming over and the whole part of being an immigrant, starting from the ground up and really laying a foundation.”

He further revealed how a trip to Cuba with one of his grandfathers was truly fascinating and transformative to him. After that trip, he began appreciating his heritage even more. Additionally, both brothers spent their childhoods surrounded by a strong Cuban community in Miami.

Additional Information

• Fernando Mendoza Business Administration and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
• In 2026, Mendoza was the head coach at Next Level Sports, where he coached multiple elementary school teams and introduced fundamental football and leadership concepts.
• He completed internships at various companies, including MasTec, ACRE Investment Company, LLC, and Newmark.

• Check other Articles on

As a content writer at Players Bio, Rimsha Khatri's primary goal is to write well-researched news articles about athletes and sports. She prioritizes leveraging her literary abilities and creative flair to deliver entertaining and highly informative content to readers and subscribers.

Related articles

April 7, 2026

March 16, 2026

February 6, 2026

February 4, 2026

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Share article

- May 13, 2026 Residents of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, are raising serious concerns after a series of violent incidents involving a group of young boys who have been targeting...

- May 13, 2026 Andrew O' Donnell of Fairfield, Connecticut, passed away at the age of 39. He was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, and later moved to Ancramdale, New...

- May 12, 2026 Judy (Evans) Milby of Rockwall, Texas, passed away on Saturday at the age of 80. Milby was born on July 25, 1945, to her father,...

- May 12, 2026 Residents of Dromore, Co. Down, are calling for action after a deeply concerning incident at the local play park, where older children were reported...

- May 11, 2026 A video circulating on Facebook has sparked a heated debate among Bell Gardens residents after police were called on a group of kids riding...