Former Indiana quarterback Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother and backup of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, is transferring to Georgia Tech, according to multiple reports.
Alberto entered the transfer portal following the Hoosiers’ storybook national championship run, which culminated in a 27-21 win over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.
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The 6-foot-2, 207-pound signal-caller has three years of eligibility remaining and will compete for a chance to fill the huge shoes left by veteran Haynes King, this season’s ACC Player of the Year.
Indiana already received a commitment in the portal from former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who has one season left to play after combining for 71 passing touchdowns across the three seasons he served as the Horned Frogs’ QB1.
Fernando is expected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft after throwing 41 touchdowns against just six picks and rushing for seven scores, the last of which saw him go airborne and help the Hoosiers complete a 16-0 campaign that made them the biggest long-shot national champions since at least 2001.
Alberto celebrated Indiana’s transcendent victory with Fernando and the Mendoza family in Miami, where the brothers played their high school ball.
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Alberto is coming off his redshirt freshman season. While Fernando transferred to Indiana from Cal in December 2024, Alberto started his college career in Bloomington.
Fernando Mendoza (right) celebrates with his brother Alberto Mendoza (16) after Indiana defeated Miami in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
(Alex Slitz via Getty Images)
Alberto Mendoza witnessed the Curt Cignetti turnaround from its beginning. He sat behind Kurtis Rourke and Tayven Jackson in 2024 when the Hoosiers recorded their first double-digit-win season in program history and entered the College Football Playoff as the sport’s Cinderella story.
This season, he was QB2 for an Indiana team that was gunning to win it all with his older brother under center. The younger Mendoza appeared in nine games, often coming in for mop-up duty, as the Hoosiers stacked their fair share of blowout wins.
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He posted a 75% completion rate, hitting on 18 of 24 attempts for 286 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. Mendoza also rushed for 190 yards and a score on just 13 carries. He even had a pair of totes during Indiana’s romp over Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Mendoza was allowed to enter the portal after the national championship, as were other Indiana and Miami players. They have a Jan. 24 deadline to hit the portal now that their seasons are over.
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