-
Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza is entering the NCAA transfer portal, he announced on social media Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound redshirt sophomore is expected to be one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the portal. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Mendoza addressed his decision in a post on X, writing, “for the sake of my football future this is the decision I have reached,” and thanking his teammates and coaches, among others.
— Fernando Mendoza (@qb_fernando) December 11, 2024
Miami is expected to be in the market for a transfer quarterback after Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward moves on to the NFL, but Mendoza also has ties to Indiana. His younger brother, Alberto, is a freshman backup quarterback for the Hoosiers. Indiana is also expected to bring in a transfer as the successor to senior starter Kurtis Rourke.
Mendoza was the third-leading passer in the ACC this season with 3,004 passing yards on 68.7% passing, 18 total touchdowns and 6 interceptions over 11 games. He has made 19 starts over the past two seasons.
The Miami native was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022 and initially committed to play in the Ivy League at Yale before Cal extended a late offer. Mendoza redshirted during his first season in the program and has developed into one of the top young passers in college football.
This season, Mendoza threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-14 road win at Auburn and put up 285 passing yards and two touchdown passes in a 39-38 loss to then-No. 8 Miami. In his final game with the Bears, he led a 98-yard, game-winning touchdown drive in a 24-21 victory over rival Stanford.
Cal went 6-6 in its first season as a member of the ACC and will face No. 24 UNLV in the Art of Sport LA Bowl on Dec. 18.