Ex-Cal QB Placed Surprisingly High in a 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Will Cal fans be laughing or crying when they see CBS Sports’ surprising predictions for the 2026 NFL draft?

CBS Sports posted its 2026 mock draft this week, and guess which player it projects to be the top overall selection?

It’s none other than Fernando Mendoza, who was Cal’s starting quarterback the past two seasons, but transferred to Indiana during the offseason.

Here is what CBS Sports’ Mike Renner says about Mendoza, who is projected to be taken by the Browns with the first overall pick:

The Browns will almost certainly be going quarterback if they end up picking No. 1 overall, and with Arch Manning expected to return to school, Fernando Mendoza feels like the best fit of the bunch for head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense (should the two-time NFL Coach of the Year be retained). He's got a plus NFL arm paired with quick decision-making and tight-window accuracy. He'll get a chance to shine on a bigger stage this year at Indiana after carrying Cal the past two seasons.

It’s quite a compliment for Mendoza, whose only FBS scholarship offer out of high school came from Cal and who began the 2023 season as the Bears’ third string quarterback before winning the starting job at midseason as a redshirt freshman.

But it is also a prediction that will surprise a lot of people.

Three ESPN NFL experts -- Field Yates, Matt Miller, and Jordan Reid -- each posted early mock drafts for the 2026 NFL draft, and none of them has Mendoza being taken in the first round at all.  That might because Mendoza may want to return to Indiana for his final season of college eligibility in 2026 rather than enter the NFL draft next spring. But there are a number of juniors in the ESPN projections, suggesting few others think Mendoza would be drafted nearly that high.

Mendoza was productive at Cal, helping the Bears land bowl-game berths each of the past two seasons, although he did not play in the Bears’ LA Bowl game loss to UNLV this past season.

He said in an interview with CBS Sports in June that he felt a little guilty about leaving Cal because he feels it might have led to the departure of running back Jaydn Ott and tight end Jack Endries as well.

Cal will go with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele as its starting quarterback for its opener at Oregon State on Saturday, and Sagapolutele will be just the second true freshman quarterback to start a season-opener for Cal. Jared Goff is the other.

Meanwhile, Mendoza will make his Indiana debut on Saturday at home against Old Dominion, a game in which Mendoza could put up some big numbers.

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