Mendoza opens up on family, Brady as a mentor and going No.1 in the NFL Draft

Days before the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza reflected on the journey that took him to the top of the board and what comes next.

Stream the 2026 NFL Draft live on DAZN

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh on 23 April, and you can watch every round live on DAZN with a Game Pass subscription.

From just £9.99/€9.99, witness the moment Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love and Carnell Tate hear their names called and walk onto the draft stage as the next generation of NFL superstars.

Sign up for Game Pass now and get your front row seat to the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mendoza gives credit to his parents

As a guest on Path to the Draft, available to NFL Game Pass subscribers on DAZN, Mendoza reflected on the journey that brought him to the top of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mendoza was a two-star recruit out of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, initially committing to Yale before flipping to Cal.

He transferred to Indiana ahead of 2025 and delivered a Heisman Trophy-winning, 16-0 national championship season.

Asked about what inspired his journey from initially overlooked to the nation's No. 1 college player, Mendoza was typically modest.

"It really came from my mum and my dad, who always instilled that unwavering optimism and unwavering belief," he said.

"They said, 'Hey, Fernando, you're not a two-star, you're not a three-star, you're not a four-star, you're not even a five-star. You're yourself.'"

Mendoza knows he has them to thank for being where he is.

"I wouldn’t be anywhere near here without them, and so I really can’t thank them enough.”

Mendoza on Brady as a mentor

Unless there's a major twist in the tale, Mendoza will be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

That would land the young gunslinger on a team which counts Tom Brady, the best quarterback in NFL history, among its ownership group.

Speaking at the NFL Combine, Mendoza expressed his excitement about the prospect of learning from the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

"When I walked in for the formal interview for the Raiders, I was able to say a brief 'hi' on the phone with Brady. That was very special to me."

"To potentially have a mentor like that would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."

A Brady-Mendoza pairing could be exactly what Las Vegas need to begin building a roster capable of competing for a postseason berth. Watch that chapter begin on Thursday night, right here on DAZN.