Top NFL prospect Fernando Mendoza says team suggested he get arrested to fall in the draft

The projected top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, said a team executive suggested he get arrested so that he would slide down to that team’s pick in the upcoming draft. 

Mendoza is projected to be the No.1 overall pick by theLas Vegas Raiders, but he is still interviewing with other teams at the NFL combine.

Mendoza revealed the suggestion a team made to him about getting arrested during an interview with CBS Sports on Friday, when he was asked about the most bizarre question he got from teams at theNFL combine.

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Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Alberto Mendoza (16) warm up prior to the game against the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium on Oct.25, 2025, in Bloomington, Indiana.(Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

“It was, ‘hey, maybe you should get arrested,’ and I was a little confused, but then I was like, the slide … so you could slide in the draft,” he said.

Mendoza declined to reveal which team made the suggestion.

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Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Alberto Mendoza (16) walk on the field for warmups before the 2025 Big Ten Conference Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec.6, 2025, in Indianapolis.(Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

“So, hopefully I don’t get arrested,” he added.

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Mendoza is the hottest quarterback prospect this year after leading Indiana to the first 16-0 season in modern college football history,winning the national championshipand the Heisman Trophy.

He finished the 2025 season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan.19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Other teams in need of a quarterback besides the Raiders may not find many answers in this draft, after Oregon quarterbackDante Moore returned to collegefor another year.

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Other prospects, including Ty Simpson, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier, are projected to be lower-tier prospects when compared to Mendoza.

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Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.