College coach sends nine-word Fernando Mendoza warning to Raiders they can’t ignore originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft wasn’t a surprise.
Fernando Mendoza was bound to be a Las Vegas Raiders since finishing his collegiate career with a national championship and Heisman Trophy, and it became official on Apr. 23. While Kirk Cousins may start the 2026-27 season as quarterback No. 1, Mendoza is undoubtedly the Raiders’ franchise signal-caller.
That said, a college coach recently sent the Raiders a nine-word warning about Mendoza’s back-shoulder throws that they can’t ignore.
“In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off,” the coach stated, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
For clarity, the coach named in Rittenberg’s recent piece competed against Fendoza when he was a member of the California Golden Bears in the ACC. Although Mendoza was a polished, NFL-ready QB with Indiana, he still displayed the occasional tendency to favor back-shoulder throws to his most trustworthy receivers (Omar Cooper Jr, and Elija Sarratt).
Mendoza’s elite touch and ball placement didn’t get him into much trouble last season, though, as he finished the year with 273 completions for 3,535 receiving yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
Still, that shouldn’t stop the Raiders from heeding the anonymous ACC coach’s warning, given the fact that NFL defenses are a step quicker/more athletic and can sniff out plays before they’re executed.
Simply put, Mendoza can’t put the ball in harm’s way in the big leagues if he wants to carve out a successful career.
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