2025 Football Roster
Sep 20 (Sat)
7:30 p.m.
Fernando Mendoza
- Position:
- QB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-5 / 225
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Miami, Fla.
- High School:
- Christopher Columbus
- Prev School:
- California
CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal in three years ... Appeared in 21 career games with 20 starts ... Played in 20 games with 19 starts over three seasons at California (2022-24) and redshirted initial collegiate season ... Ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect in the Transfer Portal and No. 3 quarterback per 247Sports ... Finished career as the all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) and tied for No. 7 in 250-yard passing games (10) ... Equaled the marks of Gale Gilbert (10; 1980-84) and Aaron Rodgers (10; 2003-04) in career 250-yard passing games at Cal.
2025 (Redshirt-Junior Season)
Season: Started one game.
Old Dominion (8/30): Made Indiana debut and produced 226 yards of total offense ... Completed 18-of-31 passes for 193 yards passing ... Rushed six times for 33 yards and one touchdown ... Scored IU’s first offensive touchdown with a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
2024 (Sophomore Season - California)
Awards: Three-time ACC Quarterback of the Week.
Season: Started the first 11 games of the season ... Missed the final regular season game of the season versus SMU (11/30) due to illness ... Entered the transfer portal prior to the LA Bowl ... Produced just the ninth 3,000-yard passing season in California history (3,004 yards) ... Finished top-10 on Cal's single-season passing charts in total offense yards (No. 7; 3,109 yards), passing efficiency (No. 8; 144.59) and yards passing (No. 9; 3,004 yards).
UC Davis (8/31): Completed 15-of-22 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown ... Rushed twice for 2 yards ... Tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter. at Auburn (9/7): Hit on 25-of-36 passes for 233 yards ... Added 12 yards rushing on five carries ... Both touchdown passes came in the first half ... Connected on scoring passes for 19 and 13 yards. San Diego State (9/14): Threw for 198 yards on 21-of-29 passing and two touchdowns ... Also scored one touchdown rushing ... Opened Cal’s scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run in the first quarter ... Threw a third-quarter touchdown pass of 20 yards ... Tossed a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. at Florida State (9/21): Produced first-career 300-yard passing game ... Threw for 303 yards on 22-of-36 passing. Miami (Fla.) (10/5): Completed 11-of-22 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns ... Gained 20 yards on six carries ... Threw first-half touchdown passes of 57 yards and 66 yards. at Pittsburgh (10/12): Threw for 272 yards on 27-of-37 passing and one touchdown ... Completed fourth-quarter touchdown pass of 19 yards. NC State (10/19): Had 282 yards on 30-of-42 passing. Oregon State (10/26): Tossed two touchdown passes as part of a 27-of-36 afternoon and 346 yards passing and two touchdowns ... Marked second-career 300-yard passing game ... Gained 25 yards on five carries ... Accounted for the first two touchdowns of the game in the first quarter ... First touchdown of the game was a 15-yard touchdown pass that he threw and then ran in for the score on a lateral ... Also connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass. at Wake Forest (11/8): Posted third-career 300-yard passing game on 40-of-56 passing for 385 yards ... Threw two touchdown passes ... Scored one rushing touchdown with five carries for 51 yards ... Tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter ... Connected on a 2-yard scoring pass in the second quarter ... Rushed for a 5-yard score in the third quarter. Syracuse (11/16): Posted 225 yards passing on 22-of-34 passing with one touchdown ... Final score of the game was a 5-yard touchdown pass. Stanford (11/23): Threw for 299 yards on 25-of-36 passing and three touchdowns ... Carried 11 times for 35 yards ... Hit on a 16-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter ... Threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns: 30 and 22 yards.
2023 (Redshirt Freshman Season - California)
Awards: Honored with Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honorable mention by the conference coaches ... Fourth-team All-Pac-12 per Phil Steele ... Earned Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll ... Named Cal’s Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Season: Appeared in nine games with eight starts ... Starts came in each of the final eight games of the season ... Made collegiate debut in season opener at North Texas (9/2) ... First collegiate start came versus Oregon State (10/7).
at North Texas (9/2): Made collegiate debut ... Attempted one pass. Oregon State (10/7): First collegiate start featured 207 yards passing and two touchdowns ... Completed 21-of-32 passes ... Rushed four times for 41 yards ... First collegiate touchdown pass covered 9 yards in the second quarter ... Connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. at Utah (10/14): Completed 10-of-17 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns ... Added seven carries for 12 yards ... Tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter ... Added a 24-yard scoring strike in the third quarter. USC (10/28): Posted 340 yards of total offense and accounted for four total touchdowns ... Scored first collegiate rushing touchdown ... Completed 25-of-39 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns ... Rushed for 48 yards on eight carries with two scores ... Touchdown passes covered 17 and 13 yards ... Rushed for a 2-yard score in the second quarter and a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter. at Oregon (11/4): Threw for 177 yards on 18-of-34 passing. Washington State (11/11): Completed 14-of-21 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns ... Added seven carries for 5 yards ... Threw a 6-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter ... Added a 13-yard scoring pass in the second quarter. at Stanford (11/18): Threw three touchdown passes as part of a 294-yard passing effort ... Completed 24-of-36 passes ... Connected on touchdown passes of 9, 54 and 8 yards. at UCLA (11/25): Threw for 178 yards on 19-of-30 passing with two touchdowns ... Hit on touchdown passes for 14 and 13 yards in the game. vs. Texas Tech (12/16): Completed 22-of-33 passes for 261 yards and one touchdown ... Carried 11 times for 12 yards ... Opened the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
2022 (Freshman Season - California)
Season: Did not appear in a game and redshirted initial collegiate season.
Prep/Personal
Quarterback for head coach Dave Dunn at Christopher Columbus High School ... Spent freshman season at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School ... Rated a three-star prospect per ESPN, 247Sports and On3 ... Tabbed the No. 72 quarterback nationally per ESPN ... Selected team captain as a junior and senior ... Tabbed first-team All-Dade Count as a junior ... Career totals included 224-of-332 (.675) passing for 2,222 yards and 29 touchdowns ... Completed 107-of-169 passes (.633) for 1,109 yards with 11 touchdowns as a 2021 senior ... Helped CCHS reach as high the nation’s No. 14 team before opting out of the FHSAA postseason due to COVID-19 ... Threw for 1,086 yards on 91-of-129 passing and 13 touchdowns ... Sophomore campaign featured an FHSAA 8A state title as the backup quarterback ... Completed 26-of-34 passes (.765) for 227 yards with five touchdowns ... Participated in the Elite 11 Regional and UnderArmour All-American Camp Regional ... Named MVP of the Rivals Miami Wilson Connected camp ... Also lettered in tennis ... Campus ministry president, school vice president, social media director for the honors program while at CCHS ... Nominee for the Silver Knight Award given to a select group of students who have an outstanding academic history and an impressive community service record ... Son of Elsa and Fernando Mendoza ... Brother, Alberto, is a redshirt freshman quarterback at Indiana ... Born October 1, 2003 ... Coordinated the Christopher Columbus High School Turkey Drive in which 436 turkeys were given to families in need in Miami-Dade County ... Founding member of They Can Too, a global organization dedicated to helping and spreading awareness for youth in need ... Organized a Cuban Relief Service trip in which he and his grandfather, Alberto Espino, went to Cuba to give to back to their native community, locals and family members ... One of three hosts of the 2024 Golden Buddies Football Clinic for youth with and without disabilities while at Cal.
