Fernando and Alberto Mendoza are brothers? (Getty Images)
His older brother Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy last year at Indiana, then went first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft. He completed 273 of 379 passes for 3,535 yards, threw 41 touchdowns against six interceptions, and added 440 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. He signed a four-year, fully guaranteed $57.27 million rookie contract with the Raiders. In nine games, he completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, while adding 190 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Indiana won the national championship. Alberto Mendoza arrived at Georgia Tech this season carrying a last name that college football fans already know well. Now Alberto, no longer playing second fiddle in Bloomington, is Georgia Tech’s starting quarterback. The two are brothers, yes. But the real story runs deeper than that. Fernando had a season that most quarterbacks never come close to. Fernando declared for the draft. Alberto’s numbers were solid for a backup. But when Indiana brought in TCU transfer Josh Hoover to compete for the starting job, the writing was on the wall.
Alberto originally committed to James Madison University before switching to Indiana to play for coach Curt Cignetti. Fernando had already made his way to Bloomington from California, and the two ended up on the same roster. They became the first brothers in a decade to throw touchdown passes in the same game for one team.