Top 2026 quarterback prospect says team suggested he get arrested to fall in draft

Fernando Mendoza, the projected top quarterback prospect for the 2026 NFL draft, said a team executive advised him to get arrested so he would slide into that team’s draft spot, he told CBS Sports on Friday.

“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,” Mendoza said in the interview, according to CBS Sports. Mendoza is considered a leading candidate for the No. 1 overall pick and is still interviewing with teams at the NFL combine.

Mendoza declined to identify the team that made the suggestion. “So, hopefully I don’t get arrested,” he added, according to the CBS Sports interview.

Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season, a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy. He finished the 2025 season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions.

With Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returning to college, other teams seeking a quarterback may have fewer top options in this draft. Other prospects mentioned in draft coverage include Ty Simpson, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier, who are viewed as lower-tier compared with Mendoza.

Source: Original Article