FERNANDO MENDOZA’S 41 TOUCHDOWNS AND 3,535 YARDS PROVE HE IS NFL-READY FOR 2026
"Open to Work." Fernando Mendoza announces his NFL Draft decision after leading Indiana to a historic National Championship win.
Mendoza made it official on Friday—he’s heading for the NFL draft. He dropped the news on LinkedIn, and now the Raiders are lined up to take him with their top pick in April. Raiders owner Mark Davis, Tom Brady (now a minority owner and still a legend), and general manager John Spytek all showed up Monday night to watch Mendoza lead his team to a national title win over Miami.
The whole week leading up to his announcement, South Florida was buzzing. The College Football Playoff title game and everything around it turned into a big Mendoza celebration.
Everywhere you looked, cameras and reporters tracked his every step. He still found time to sign autographs for fans. Indiana gear was everywhere, just as common as Miami Hurricanes colours. After the win, the Hoosiers’ band and cheerleaders crowded around him, handing out high-fives like he was a rock star. You could just feel it—Mendoza’s not just a football star. He’s got that something extra that makes people pay attention.
Eddie Lopez, a Miami local, managed to get Mendoza’s autograph during media day. Lopez has followed Mendoza since high school—back when Lopez was a freshman, and Mendoza was already making waves as a senior at Christopher Columbus High. Later, Lopez landed an interview with him while Mendoza played at Cal. Lopez still remembers how Mendoza made time for him, both then and now.
“He didn’t have to stop and talk, but he did. He made it count. That meant everything to me,” Lopez said.
Lopez loves the Dolphins, so he’s not about to jump ship. But he’s rooting for Mendoza, even though he’ll be wearing Raiders black and silver.
“I’m not switching teams or anything, but I’m not going to stop following him,” Lopez said. “He’s my favourite quarterback already. The Dolphins don’t have one, and I don’t see Tua sticking around, so Mendoza’s the guy I’ll keep watching. I’m not a Raiders fan, but I’ll follow him wherever he goes.”
Tyler Droste came down from Evansville, Indiana, for the big game. He roots for the Vikings, but he’s got a soft spot for the Colts, too. Still, he’s pulling for Mendoza in the NFL.
“I’m from Indiana, but I grew up a Vikings fan. We keep an eye on the Colts, but I’ll definitely be wishing Mendoza the best if he lands with the Raiders,” Droste said. “Honestly, it’d be a cool story for him and the team. He’s such a huge Tom Brady fan, and now Brady’s with the Raiders, so maybe Mendoza gets to learn from him. That’d be something.”
Josh Silverman, who brought his two sons all the way from Baltimore to cheer on Mendoza and the Hoosiers, says Mendoza is the kind of athlete and leader he wants his kids to admire.
“He’s not just a great player—he’s a great person,” Silverman said. “I’m in for the long haul, whether he keeps playing football or not. He’s just a really impressive guy.”
If the Raiders grab Mendoza as their first pick on April 23, he already fits the Vegas vibe. He loves to roll the dice and go big when it matters.
“When it’s fourth and four, or fourth and five, we’re putting it all out there,” Mendoza said after the game Monday. “We got here by betting on ourselves. Now it’s the ultimate gamble, and we’re doubling down to hit the jackpot.”
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
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Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”
LUKA DONčIć'S RETURN TIMELINE REVEALED; ESPN ANALYST HINTS AT LATE FIRST-ROUND COMEBACK
Ramona Shelburne reveals a potential return timeline for Luka Dončić. Discover how the Lakers can save their season.
So, when exactly might Luka Dončić make his return from that hamstring injury? A leading ESPN analyst has put forward a timeline that, if it holds true, could significantly improve the Lakers’ chances in the playoffs.
Why is this important? Because the timeline hints at Dončić possibly coming back during the first round, assuming the Lakers manage to push the series beyond a quick exit.
Dončić, originally from Slovenia, has quite a background. As a teenager, he spent five years playing for Real Madrid, even leading them to a EuroLeague title in 2018. That same year, the Atlanta Hawks picked him third overall in the draft but traded him immediately to Dallas.
Right now, Dončić is back in Spain for treatment on the hamstring he hurt early April during a Lakers loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reports from the Los Angeles Times suggest he’s undergoing advanced therapies like ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell injections, approaches designed to accelerate healing.
It’s interesting to note that while the US only allows PRP and stem cell treatments using the patient’s own cells without manipulation, European regulations are less strict. This means doctors there can boost the concentration of anti-inflammatory agents or culture stem cells over several days, potentially speeding up recovery.
So, if these treatments yield the hoped-for results, when might Dončić be back on the court? ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shared her perspective during a recent interview.
She pointed out that Dončić’s return could give LeBron James a fitting finale in his long and storied NBA career, basically setting the stage for a memorable chapter. Shelburne mentioned that there’s a chance Luka could rejoin the team later in the first-round series. He’s actively receiving daily treatment in Spain and stays in constant communication with teammates, which sounds promising.
Even if he doesn’t make it back for the entire first round, that window of possibility offers some hope. If the Lakers can stretch their series by a couple of games at home, maybe Dončić’s comeback becomes more than just a distant dream.
Put simply, whether Dončić returns during the first round seems to hinge on whether the Lakers avoid a sweep by their likely first-round foe, the Houston Rockets.
Looking at the Lakers’ playoff picture with just one regular-season game left, they’re on a two-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s finale against the Utah Jazz, a team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Win that game, and the Lakers secure the No. 4 seed, thanks to tiebreakers over both Houston, trailing by one game, and the Denver Nuggets, a game ahead. That would set up a first-round matchup against Houston.
However, if the Lakers win and the Nuggets lose their last game to the Spurs, the Lakers could leap to the No. 3 seed and host the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
