Cignetti: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza Has 'Stronger Arm, More Mobile' than Kurtis Rourke

Kurtis Rourke gave Indiana quality quarterback play to the tune of a second-team All-Big Ten selection and ninth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy race. The Hoosiers hope Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza can be even better.

In one aspect, he already is.

“I love Kurt — that’s my dog, but he ain’t got much swag,” senior receiver Elijah Sarratt said Tuesday at Big Ten Media Day in Las Vegas. “Fernando’s got a little bit. He’s a Florida boy, South Florida. So, he’s got a little bit of swag with him. Both of them [are] good dudes.”

Mendoza is the fourth consecutive transfer quarterback Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti will start in Week 1, giving Cignetti innate insight on the proper acclimation speed for a new signal caller.

After a slower start to spring practice spent building chemistry and gaining confidence in the playbook, Mendoza turned the corner over the final five sessions, including a team scrimmage.

By the time Indiana hit the field for its spring game April 17, Sarratt said Mendoza was “spinning it,” and he’s carried the momentum into the Hoosiers’ summer throwing periods. Mendoza has spent extensive time training and watching film, Sarratt said, and he’s trending in the right direction entering fall camp.

“His arm talent is great — one of the best in the nation,” Sarratt said. “Anticipation-wise, it's going great. Of course, he was new to the offense [this spring], so sometimes things would be late. But for the most part, he's been looking really good. He's been looking real smooth so far.”

Shortly after Mendoza announced his decision to enter the transfer portal Dec. 11, Cignetti turned on his film from California. The stats showed potency — Mendoza passed for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 68.7% of his attempts.

So did the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mendoza’s game tape.

“Saw a quarterback that had played a lot of football, a lot of good football,” Cignetti said Tuesday. “Has size. Has mobility, quick release, good arm. Can extend plays. Smart guy. He has areas he has to improve, but … I have a lot of confidence in him. Excited to see how he develops.”

Mendoza’s growth is in the hands of Chandler Whitmer, Indiana’s first-year quarterbacks coach who spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach on multiple NFL teams. Whitmer replaces Tino Sunseri, who became UCLA’s offensive coordinator last December.

The basis of Cignetti’s offense, which generated multiple Sun Belt Player of the Year awards for his quarterbacks at James Madison and translated with Rourke at Indiana, remains the same. But with Sunseri out and Whitmer in, the quarterback messaging is different.

Whitmer, however, made a strong impression on Mendoza this spring, and Sarratt said his NFL knowledge and concepts have paid dividends on his quarterback’s development.

“I feel like it’s been great for Fernando,” Sarratt said. “They tell me they love him, and he’s a great coach.”

Sarratt added Indiana’s offense is favorable for quarterbacks — in large part, as Cignetti alluded to, because the Hoosiers build their system around the strengths of their quarterbacks and their personnel.

The player-based philosophy may lead to minute changes this fall. Rourke and Mendoza have different skill sets, and Mendoza’s blend of mobility, play extension and arm talent may open more play-calling avenues for offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan — though how much won’t be answered until the regular season.

“I thought Kurtis did a great job of finding the open guy, going through the progression, throwing a very catchable ball,” Cignetti said. “Fernando’s got a stronger arm, and he’s more mobile. So, we’ll see how it plays out on the field.”

Mendoza’s athleticism turned heads this spring.

Sarratt said the moment he realized the depths of Mendoza’s talent came from his legs, not his arm. Pressured and forced to roll out of the pocket during a practice this spring, Mendoza took off down the sideline. The play ended 60 yards later.

“He was running past me,” Sarratt said. “I go, ‘Okay, this boy can play some ball. I was like, ‘Okay, he’s like that.’”

Mendoza also hasn’t shied away from the vocal leadership responsibilities associated with being a high-level starting quarterback.

Off the field, Sarratt said he’s someone players want to be around, and he flips a switch once he hits the gridiron. He’s business-minded and more than comfortable raising his voice, be it to stars like Sarratt or reserve players in the rotation. Sarratt said Mendoza may be more outgoing than Rourke, but both quarterbacks have command in the huddle.

Rourke set a high standard in 2024, breaking program records with 29 touchdown passes and a 69.4% completion rate. Now, Mendoza has a chance to raise the bar even higher — and where he goes, Indiana will follow.

“He runs the boat,” Sarratt said about Mendoza. “Fernando runs the show, just like Kurt did.”