DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

Heisman Hopeful Fernando Mendoza Says His Viral Interview Was 'Raw Emotion': 'Maybe It Was a Little Too Much' https://t.co/Ixit4Am6C5

— People (@people) December 12, 2025

CNHTH said:

---

sycasey said:

---

To me this whole saga just shows that Wilcox was bad at connecting with top players and making them want to be in his program. I don't know what the mechanism behind that was: being personally liked, the way he ran the program or set the depth chart, what he demanded of players, the assistants he hired, or something else. Maybe all of that together. But whatever the stew, it added up to a program with consistently bad recruiting rankings and that later started bleeding portal transfers despite a fairly robust NIL fund.

Hopefully the Tosh era can turn this perception around. JKS is a great start!

---

He didn't sell the program.
He viewed cal as a stepping stone and probably didn't appreciate the university as a whole…
Alums do!
Which is why I've been screaming for an alum like tosh or desean as head coach since forever.
They know we produced Warren, they know we produced Doolittle, they know we helped produce Nimitz, they know we produced Salk, they know we single-handedly won the war in the pacific (yep…sorry u Chicago no Berkeley no a bomb…we literally conceived it, designed it and f'ing built it. Ya'll imposters just piggy backed), CRISPR, fission, etc., etc.

But most importantly an alum knows we have 2000ish alumni worth a collective have trillion dollars making us collectively the wealthiest alumni base on the planet.
And so when gameday comes to town or when the star qb is maybe going to bolt for more money.
An alum seizes the moment and lets the LIGHT IN not out and taps into that alumni wealth and builds momentum on top of momentum instead of squandering it because deep down they're in love with liberal arts bottom 50 colleges in hick towns using Joe bobs ford Lincoln mercury dealership to pay for play using players that are from our backyard to begin with.
Tosh has awakened a giant. He's a good salesman. And we have cash that dwarfs all of the "blue bloods".
Screen shot this if you want and come back to it in 2 years but I fully expect us to win a natty within 2 years.
When the portal opens in a few weeks more will believe what I'm saying.

---

The problem with our alumni base is that we have one of the lowest percentage of alumni who are avid fans and supporters of their collegiate sports teams. We have 12 alumni billionaires, and none of them are major donors to Cal athletics.

That is why it is crucial for the AD to cast the widest net on student participation in Cal sports, getting them to attend for free, promoting events like rallies and getting dorm students into the Cal sports experience. Getting future Gordon Moores to be loyal Cal fans should be one of the main LT business models for the Cal administration.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

Big C said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

bearfan93 said:

---

I saw the headline of this Players Tribune article and avoided it b/c I knew it wouldn't do anything positive for me.

I don't dislike him b/c he transferred, I dislike him b/c of the way he did it. He pretended to be sick in order to skip the SMU game, then tried to persuade JKS not to come here b/c he was running the show. He did all of this after the stanfurd post game speech about "going 98 yards with my boys".

If he hadn't handled his departure the way he did I think I would be fine with the outcome. I missed having Ott/Endries/Jet on the team this year, but they don't illicit the same negative reaction from me as Mendoza does.

Just my $0.02.

---

If the supposed insiders on the premium board are so confident that Mendoza tried to screw JKS over, why is there no physical evidence? Where are the screenshots of the text message exchanges? I heard the same talking points parroted over and over since a year ago but where is the proof that it actually happened?

---

"Supposed insider" here. Who ever said that Mendoza tried to screw JKS over?

---

That is literally the only reason people are hating on Mendoza

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

If you saw his post-game interview, the guy is clearly super dramatic and somewhat of an actor. He'd make a good politician. This explains some of his behavior at the end of the Cal season -- seemingly like he'd stay only to bail in surprising fashion.

If he stayed, JKS might not have come or, if he did, he might've rode the bench. So I'm happy Mendoza left. It turned out better for him and for us.

I don't know if the rumors about his scaring JKS are true. If it is, it's shady behavior. But there's no point in holding a grudge. We're welcoming back Tosh aren't we? Or is that OK because it's now beyond the statute of limitations?

CFB is more of a cold-hearted businesses than some of us care to admit. Everyone's looking out for themselves, including the Cal program. That's why Wilcox was fired. We wrap it in corporate speech (he didn't "meet the standard", we want to be a "winning program") but at the end of the day it's about money/opportunity. That's why Tosh left. That's why Mendoza left. That's why we brought Tosh back. That's why we're paying JKS to stay.

We hold onto these notions that the kids are student-athletes and that players/coaches are true-blue Golden Bears. But we all know that this is about Cal FootBall Inc. and staying alive as a program. Once you accept that reality -- that these are all just business decisions -- it all becomes more palatable.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

Here are the top 5 transfer QBs and their draft projections, hyperbolebear.

1) Nico Iamaleava: 4th Round
2) Carson Beck: 2nd Round
3) John Mateer: 4th Round
4) Fernando: 1st Round
5) JKS: 1st Round

It looks like all the top 5 transfer QBs are projected to be drafted. The facts don't support your assertion.

---

1. Those draft prospects are AFTER they all transferred to what they hoped would be better situations and the top prospects had mediocre seasons and the lower guys had good or great seasons, not before. The supposition you are trying to disprove is that Mendoza would have been lucky to get drafted at all if he had stayed at Cal. What you need is a rating that had him getting drafted last year when he was at Cal.

2. Chase Garbers had a better passing rating in 2019 than Mendoza had in 2024. If there was a Portal then, and he left, he would likely be even higher rated as a transfer than Mendoza was. He certainly was more highly rated coming out of high school. Spending the next two years with Wilcox and Musgrave in horrible offenses did not help his development or draft prospects.

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

4. Wilcox is gone. Tosh is our head coach now. I think we both hope he will be a lot better than Wilcox in hiring OCs, developing offenses and getting players to the NFL.

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

No, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

Any chance Tosh could switch him back to Cal?

calumnus said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

Here are the top 5 transfer QBs and their draft projections, hyperbolebear.

1) Nico Iamaleava: 4th Round
2) Carson Beck: 2nd Round
3) John Mateer: 4th Round
4) Fernando: 1st Round
5) JKS: 1st Round

It looks like all the top 5 transfer QBs are projected to be drafted. The facts don't support your assertion.

---

1. Those draft prospects are AFTER they all transferred to what they hoped would be better situations and the top prospects had mediocre seasons and the lower guys had good or great seasons, not before. The supposition you are trying to disprove is that Mendoza would have been lucky to get drafted at all if he had stayed at Cal. What you need is a rating that had him getting drafted last year when he was at Cal.

2. Chase Garbers had a better passing rating in 2019 than Mendoza had in 2024. If there was a Portal then, and he left, he would likely be even higher rated as a transfer than Mendoza was. He certainly was more highly rated coming out of high school. Spending the next two years with Wilcox and Musgrave in horrible offenses did not help his development or draft prospects.

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

4. Wilcox is gone. Tosh is our head coach now. I think we both hope he will be a lot better than Wilcox in hiring OCs, developing offenses and getting players to the NFL.

---

Iamaleava went into a lousy environment with a terrible coach who got fired and is still projected to get drafted. No, Indiana did not turn a QB who was lucky to get drafted into a top 10 pick. Thanks.

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

First of all, I'm imagining a different kind of Wilcox program, where players were generally more excited to stick around. Maybe one where Wilcox does not manage the staff in such a way as to drive players out. You're describing a situation in which all else is equal.

Secondly, I do not believe that Mendoza's departure had NOTHING to do with those other players leaving. Surely it was a factor.

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

No, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

---

Lol. ALL the WRs? That doesn't explain why ALL the RBs left too.
And they didn't leave when Mendoza left, they left after getting exposed to the new staff in Spring ball. It wasn't losing the #4 transfer QB and getting the #5 transfer QB. It was Harsin.

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

First of all, I'm imagining a different kind of Wilcox program, where players were generally more excited to stick around. Maybe one where Wilcox does not manage the staff in such a way as to drive players out. You're describing a situation in which all else is equal.

Secondly, I do not believe that Mendoza's departure had NOTHING to do with those other players leaving. Surely it was a factor.

---

ALL the RBs left because of Mendoza too? I can tell you Javian Thomas did not go to UCLA for less money, less playing time, a lesser degree and to be farther away from his mom and charitable causes in his beloved Oakland because Mendoza left. It was principle.

calumnus said:

---

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

No, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

---

Lol. ALL the WRs? That doesn't explain why ALL the RBs left too.
And they didn't leave when Mendoza left, they left after getting exposed to the new staff in Spring ball. It wasn't losing the #4 transfer QB and getting the #5 transfer QB. It was Harsin.

---

Again, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

Also, Devin Brown was the #39 Transfer QB. JKS was a 4* incoming freshman. No WR is going to be pleased when their QB leaves and is replaced by an incoming kid now in high school. Jonathan Brady even transferred to Indiana with Mendoza. Mendoza had 3000+ yards passing and 16 TDs at Cal last year and played well enough to be the #4 rated transfer. No WR considering Cal is going to prefer career backup #39 rated transfer Devin Brown or a high school 4* to having Mendoza throw them the ball. It is odd that you can't see that.

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

No, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

---

Lol. ALL the WRs? That doesn't explain why ALL the RBs left too.
And they didn't leave when Mendoza left, they left after getting exposed to the new staff in Spring ball. It wasn't losing the #4 transfer QB and getting the #5 transfer QB. It was Harsin.

---

Again, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

Also, Devin Brown was the #39 Transfer QB. JKS was a 4* incoming freshman. No WR is going to be pleased when their QB leaves and is replaced by an incoming kid now in high school. Jonathan Brady even transferred to Indiana with Mendoza. Mendoza had 3000+ yards passing and 16 TDs at Cal last year and played well enough to be the #4 rated transfer. No WR considering Cal is going to prefer career backup #39 rated transfer Devin Brown or a high school 4* to having Mendoza throw them the ball. It is odd that you can't see that.

---

At Auburn, Harsin chased off the popular African American position coaches and lost the skill position players despite having junior Bo Nix at QB. Nix left the following year, AFTER the other skill position players left, and left accusing Harsin of racism towards black players (and favoritism toward white players) at worst or just being an a *hole at best.

Then he came to Cal and the same thing happened, he fired AT and Toler and, after going through Spring ball with Harsin and his new guys, EVERY scholarship RB and WR, 18 players from the offense, left via the Portal, Often for less money and less playing time. Again, your "we lost the #4 transfer for the #5 transfer" does explain why we lost EVERY running back, especially with all the hype about how much "bigger and better" the OL was going to be.

If it was just about Mendoza, they would have left with Mendoza in January.

You don't lose The Jet because Mendoza left, why would he care? He was in line to be RB1. You lose him because Harsin came and how acts towards others. The players don't have to put up with it and voted with their feet.

calumnus said:

---

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

oski003 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

sycasey said:

---

calumnus said:

---

3. It is highly unlikely that Mendoza playing in this year's Cal offense, with one receiver, a bad OL, and the worst rushing offense in the entire county, would have improved his draft prospects, much less made him a Heisman favorite and potential #1 pick. QB was already our best position. "Lucky to get drafted" sounds about right. If he did get drafted, he would have been Wilcox's first and only recruited offensive player, much less QB, to do so in 9 years. But admittedly it is all conjecture.

---

I suspect that if we had a program that could hang on to Mendoza then we also probably keep all of our receivers, so he wouldn't have been playing with the depleted group that JKS started with.

But of course, Wilcox did not have that kind of program so those guys all left.

---

The WR and RB rooms emptied in the Spring Portal because of Harsin. If Mendoza came back it would not have changed anything and he would have been in the situation Sagapolutele was in: poor pass protection with the worst rushing attack in the country, starting WRs who could not get separation and dropped the ball even when perfectly thrown into small windows (something Mendoza is not as good at doing) and one reliable starting WR who can consistently get open and hang onto the ball, though Mendoza's tendency to miss high would not have been good given DeJesus' short stature.

---

No, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

---

Lol. ALL the WRs? That doesn't explain why ALL the RBs left too.
And they didn't leave when Mendoza left, they left after getting exposed to the new staff in Spring ball. It wasn't losing the #4 transfer QB and getting the #5 transfer QB. It was Harsin.

---

Again, the starting QB leaving with no proven backup, who was the #4 transfer portal prospect going into his 4th year, was instrumental in the departures of the wide receivers who transferred out.

Also, Devin Brown was the #39 Transfer QB. JKS was a 4* incoming freshman. No WR is going to be pleased when their QB leaves and is replaced by an incoming kid now in high school. Jonathan Brady even transferred to Indiana with Mendoza. Mendoza had 3000+ yards passing and 16 TDs at Cal last year and played well enough to be the #4 rated transfer. No WR considering Cal is going to prefer career backup #39 rated transfer Devin Brown or a high school 4* to having Mendoza throw them the ball. It is odd that you can't see that.

---

At Auburn, Harsin chased off the popular African American position coaches and lost the skill position players despite having junior Bo Nix at QB. Nix left the following year, AFTER the other skill position players left, and left accusing Harsin of racism towards black players (and favoritism toward white players) at worst or just being an a *hole at best.

Then he came to Cal and the same thing happened, he fired AT and Toler and, after going through Spring ball with Harsin and his new guys, EVERY scholarship RB and WR, 18 players from the offense, left via the Portal, Often for less money and less playing time. Again, your "we lost the #4 transfer for the #5 transfer" does explain why we lost EVERY running back, especially with all the hype about how much "bigger and better" the OL was going to be.

If it was just about Mendoza, they would have left with Mendoza in January.

You don't lose The Jet because Mendoza left, why would he care? He was in line to be RB1. You lose him because Harsin came and how acts towards others. The players don't have to put up with it and voted with their feet.

---

The only running back with a questionable departure was Jet, and we only freed up significant money for him once Ott bolted to go to a contender. Up until then, he was second fiddle to Ott. Why would Jet not care that his QB left. It is ridiculous to think he simply doesn't care about that.

In the age of the portal, there is a lot of turnover. This turnover is significantly amplified when your starting QB gets poached, which is what happened here. And, yes, changing position coaches also increases roster turnover at the affected positions.

Grizzell earned his scholarship in early 2024 and stayed.

freshfunk said:

---

If you saw his post-game interview, the guy is clearly super dramatic and somewhat of an actor. He'd make a good politician. This explains some of his behavior at the end of the Cal season -- seemingly like he'd stay only to bail in surprising fashion.

---

I don't know Mendoza other than what I see in the media. He seems a little off to me. I don't mean that to be harsh, but his almost manic disposition mixed with a tad bit of immaturity strikes me as uniquely strange. He is clearly a good athlete and probably a good student, but his demeanor is strange. I feel almost embarrassed for him when he is being interviewed. He acts a bit like someone I know who is bipolar, but I don't think that is it.

Story in Mercury News and Press Democrat about Mendoza's stint at Cal and how Coach Tim Plough played a huge role in his develoment. He was a 3rd string QB and asked to meet with Plough so he could learn the offense better - led to nightly meetings at 9:00 PM. Continued even after he moved to first string and got the full attention of OC. Interesting tidbit - Plough stuck with Cal through bowl game, delaying his start at UC Davis, just to work a bit more with Mendoza!

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/12/fernando-mendoza-heisman-trophy-cal-indiana/amp/

Plough's influence on Indiana's Mendoza

' Heisman Trophy favorite Fernando Mendoza was a redshirt freshman and Cal's third-string quarterback at the start of the 2023 season when he walked into the office of tight ends coach Tim Plough.

"Would you be willing to meet with me?" Mendoza asked. "Would you be willing to teach me the offense and talk to me about quarterback play, go through the game plan with me?"

Mendoza knew that Plough had spent virtually the entirety of his career as an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach.

"He has this insatiable desire to be a great player. And when you're the third-string guy, you're not getting a lot of one-on-one time with the quarterback coach or the OC," Plough said this week. "So he was kind of looking for some guidance, some mentorship."

Thus began what tutor and pupil labeled the Midnight Meetings. For the rest of the season, Mendoza arrived at Plough's office nightly at 9 p.m. and the two spent as many as three hours watching film, talking fundamentals and mechanics of the position and studying that week's game plan.

Even though Mendoza had no shot yet at getting onto the field.'

BearSD said:

---

PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

When Mendoza gets to the pros, will his player profile college show Indiana, Cal, or both?

---

Butte College

---

Haas School of Business

It seemed to me that he was a politician in training when interviewing. I don't know if he has ever expressed interest running for office, but that's the vibe I got.

CALiforniALUM said:

---

freshfunk said:

---

If you saw his post-game interview, the guy is clearly super dramatic and somewhat of an actor. He'd make a good politician. This explains some of his behavior at the end of the Cal season -- seemingly like he'd stay only to bail in surprising fashion.

---

I don't know Mendoza other than what I see in the media. He seems a little off to me. I don't mean that to be harsh, but his almost manic disposition mixed with a tad bit of immaturity strikes me as uniquely strange. He is clearly a good athlete and probably a good student, but his demeanor is strange. I feel almost embarrassed for him when he is being interviewed. He acts a bit like someone I know who is bipolar, but I don't think that is it.

---

I think he is most likely on the spectrum. Super smart, but single-minded and obsessive (a "geek") in being a quarterback. He pretty clearly masks his social awkwardness by memorizing and saying what he thinks would be best for him to say, which is why he comes across as a politician.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

---

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

---

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

---

What are you blabbering on now? Read exactly what I responded to, what you posted, and how I responded. There really needs to be a cognitive impairment test as a qualification to post here.

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

---

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

---

What are you blabbering on now? Read exactly what I responded to, what you posted, and how I responded. There really needs to be a cognitive impairment test as a qualification to post here.

---

Hopefully, once you study and pass this cognitive impairment test, you will understand I am attacking your ridiculous hyperbole.

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up to be the #4 portal QB, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a Heisman winner.

The jump from 2* high school QB with zero scholarship offers to a 4* transfer QB ranked #4 between QBs all projected to get drafted, is a pretty large jump. He did that at Cal.

CALiforniALUM said:

---

freshfunk said:

---

If you saw his post-game interview, the guy is clearly super dramatic and somewhat of an actor. He'd make a good politician. This explains some of his behavior at the end of the Cal season -- seemingly like he'd stay only to bail in surprising fashion.

---

I don't know Mendoza other than what I see in the media. He seems a little off to me. I don't mean that to be harsh, but his almost manic disposition mixed with a tad bit of immaturity strikes me as uniquely strange. He is clearly a good athlete and probably a good student, but his demeanor is strange. I feel almost embarrassed for him when he is being interviewed. He acts a bit like someone I know who is bipolar, but I don't think that is it.

---

I don't think Mendoza is "off" at all. Three things struck me about Mendoza since I first heard him talk and saw him play:

• He's a positive, enthusiastic guy. People with this sort of personality excel in sales positions, but can also motivate others.
• He's a people pleaser. When asked questions by the media, he gives articulate, well thought-out answers but makes no attempt to hide his feelings. If, as has been indicated, his family pressured him to transfer, that desire to please them (especially WRT his mom's illness) must have been a strong force.
• He's smart, focused and realistic. He recognized his shortcomings and took specific steps to address them. Turnovers, pocket presence and inability to make certain types of throws are all shortcomings he has reduced or eliminated entirely.

Is he really an NFL talent? Hard to say. But I'm sure he'll ultimately be a success at whatever he does because he's smart and works hard.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

---

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

---

What are you blabbering on now? Read exactly what I responded to, what you posted, and how I responded. There really needs to be a cognitive impairment test as a qualification to post here.

---

Hopefully, once you study and pass this cognitive impairment test, you will understand I am attacking your ridiculous hyperbole.

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up to be the #4 portal QB, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a Heisman winner.

The jump from 2* high school QB with zero scholarship offers to a 4* transfer QB ranked #4 between QBs all projected to get drafted, is a pretty large jump. He did that at Cal.

---

Mendoza has always been hard working and has a growth mindset his entire life. If it wasn't for COVID he wouldn't have gone unknown and only a 2*. He developed himself as much as he could despite the terrible offenses led by Wilcox and hit a ceiling here. And now he's prepared for the next level thanks to actually quality coaching.

He'll end up with a super hot wife

HearstMining said:

---

CALiforniALUM said:

---

freshfunk said:

---

If you saw his post-game interview, the guy is clearly super dramatic and somewhat of an actor. He'd make a good politician. This explains some of his behavior at the end of the Cal season -- seemingly like he'd stay only to bail in surprising fashion.

---

I don't know Mendoza other than what I see in the media. He seems a little off to me. I don't mean that to be harsh, but his almost manic disposition mixed with a tad bit of immaturity strikes me as uniquely strange. He is clearly a good athlete and probably a good student, but his demeanor is strange. I feel almost embarrassed for him when he is being interviewed. He acts a bit like someone I know who is bipolar, but I don't think that is it.

---

I don't think Mendoza is "off" at all. Three things struck me about Mendoza since I first heard him talk and saw him play:

• He's a positive, enthusiastic guy. People with this sort of personality excel in sales positions, but can also motivate others.
• He's a people pleaser. When asked questions by the media, he gives articulate, well thought-out answers but makes no attempt to hide his feelings. If, as has been indicated, his family pressured him to transfer, that desire to please them (especially WRT his mom's illness) must have been a strong force.
• He's smart, focused and realistic. He recognized his shortcomings and took specific steps to address them. Turnovers, pocket presence and inability to make certain types of throws are all shortcomings he has reduced or eliminated entirely.

Is he really an NFL talent? Hard to say. But I'm sure he'll ultimately be a success at whatever he does because he's smart and works hard.

---

I don't disagree with any of your points, but I still feel like something is "off" about him in terms of a human social interaction and norms perspective. I've worked with people who have asperger syndrome, I know people with bipolar, and I work with many others who are not labeled as any of those and are otherwise "normal" - which is clearly as unfair a label to put on somebody as to characterize them for their way. My comment of him being "off" is not intended to be disrespectiful, but simply my interest to know who he is outside of football. I still contend that he seems to process social situations a bit differently than others, which is fine. Maybe you find his way refreshing, which is also fine (and certainly the higher road), but I don't think I am wrong that his overly enthusiatic, people pleaser way is kind of strange. He is clearly hardwired that way.

I did find it interesting that when they spoke to his brother in the audience that he came off very similarly. While his mom seems like a charming person, I was kind of surprised that his dad was not speaking. What father in that moment wouldn't have something to say? The interaction between Fernando and his dad during his remarks seemed a little more awkward than when he was talking to his siblings, mother or grandparents - I think there was something going on there outside of the performance of the event. From a Heisman brand production perspective where they are building the Heisman to be an award built on elite players, they can't let people have the mic if they can't keep on message. I almost felt like dad might have been sidelined a bit. I could be totally wrong and others might disagree. I am always curious about the these types of events because anybody who has put one of these together knows they are highly scripted - I suspect that Fernando was reading off a teleprompter.

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

GivemTheAxe said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

oski003 said:

---

DoubtfulBear said:

---

Imagine if Mendoza didn't get the Cignetti development but wasted another year under Wilcox. He would be lucky to get drafted at all

---

He was the #4 transfer QB in a market that included big names. Indiana did not find a needle in a haystack.

---

I always knew your reading comprehension was bad but this is a new low. Where did I mention anything about Indiana lucking out in finding Mendoza? I'm saying that Mendoza is fortunate to have left instead of being "loyal" to Cal. It's undisputed that his on field performance and draft position was highly impacted by the
move

---

The ACC pre season reports specifically addressed Mendoza's move to Indiana. The TV analysts praised Wilcox for finding a diamond in the rough and training him up to be a high Portal prospect
The analysts said this will happen again and again to second tier teams who don't have the financial backing to compete financially with the Top Tier teams.
They will find the diamonds in the rough and lose them (get poached by) to the Big Boys.

So yes Indiana did NOT "find" Mendoza. Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

---

Being a high portal prospect is nowhere close to being the Heisman frontrunner and potentially the #1 draft pick. When the Mendoza to Heisman thread first came out, the vast majority of people didn't take it seriously, especially all the Mendoza haters on this board. Now that he's actually likely to win it, you want to give all the credit to Wilcox? You guys are a joke

---

Who said they want to 'give all the credit to Wilcox?' Your hyperbole is a joke.

---

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up and Indiana poached him.

Like I said, illiterate003. With your lack of reading comprehension, I doubt you even got accepted to Cal

---

Thank you for finally accurately portraying the situation with Mendoza. Yes, Cal trained him up, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a first round pick. I regret that you have to further insult me, but I am glad you are now seeing the light.

---

Wow how late stage is your dementia? In what universe could you possibly think I am agreeing with you? You asked who would claim that Wilcox deserves credit and I pointed out a quote by GivemTheAxe and you think I agree? You should stop posting if you can't even keep track of your own talking points

---

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

---

What are you blabbering on now? Read exactly what I responded to, what you posted, and how I responded. There really needs to be a cognitive impairment test as a qualification to post here.

---

Hopefully, once you study and pass this cognitive impairment test, you will understand I am attacking your ridiculous hyperbole.

Cal found Mendoza, trained him up to be the #4 portal QB, Indiana poached him, and refined him to be a Heisman winner.

The jump from 2* high school QB with zero scholarship offers to a 4* transfer QB ranked #4 between QBs all projected to get drafted, is a pretty large jump. He did that at Cal.

---

Thank you, Coach Plough, for selflessly teaching and mentoring Mendoza in late-night sessions when he was a 3rd-string QB. How did Mendoza also get his studies completed?

BTW, Plough's redshirt freshman QB this year, Caden Pinnick, was named Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, he was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, and led the Aggies to the FCS quarterfinals where with a defense ravaged by injuries, they finally lost.

A question about FM....

As an NFL QB what do you think he does EXCEPTIONALLY well? For me that is going to be the thing. I can think of all the REALLY good (as in take your team to the SB) QBs and they do certain things really really well. Then there are others that are Good. Making Bank. But it isn't like I am mortgaging the franchises future to go get them because they just don't make 2-3 plays a game that leave you scratching your head..

To me FM is going to have a career a lot like Justin Herbert's. Decent QB. Chargers are happy to have him. But do you really see him just blowing away the league. I don't.

But maybe I am missing something about FM.