Opinion: In the end, it worked out for both Fernando Mendoza and Cal

Mendoza is the first UC Berkeley graduate to win the Heisman Trophy and thanked the Cal family in his award speech.

Credit: Rob Hwang

Fernando Mendoza started his college football career as a last-minute quarterback commit when then Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave gave him a last-minute scholarship offer, and he ended up flipping from Yale to California. His college football journey culminated Saturday night at Lincoln Center, where he won the sport’s most prestigious individual award.

Ultimately, the Mendoza era didn’t work out at Cal, because the timing didn’t work out. The Bears were in the late stages of the Justin Wilcox era, which was marked by significant offensive upheaval. During Mendoza’s three years at Cal, the Bears had three offensive coordinators (and would have had a fourth if he’d decided to return). Jake Spavital would dabble with Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley before the coaching staff turned it over to Mendoza, who would not relinquish the role.

Mendoza took his early lumps, then led the Bears to three straight wins and a bowl appearance in 2023. Things looked good for a solid 2024 campaign, but injuries to Jaydn Ott and a poor offensive line hamstrung Mendoza from the beginning. Questionable decisions around the insertion of Chandler Rogers led to more eyebrow-raising about offensive decision-making. There were still notable highlights, like leading an upset win at Auburn, and 98 yards with the boys against Stanford, and those magical first three quarters in Miami, but the offense remained as dysfunctional as ever, and Mendoza started considering other options.

Mendoza transferred to Indiana, where his brother was a quarterback, and the Hoosiers were coming off a playoff campaign. He finally found the offensive coaching he needed in Bloomington, and thrived. He fulfilled every dream you could ever have hoped for as a college football quarterback: Conference champion, #1 team in the nation, Rose Bowl trip, and now the Heisman Trophy.

Fernando thanked the Cal family in his celebration speech.

“To my Cal family, thank you for being the first to believe in my future. Thank you for the opportunity, educating me, and giving me the foundation that enabled me to grow into the person I am today.”

Although it was the right football decision to leave for Indiana, it was not an easy decision for Mendoza to leave. He loved Cal, he loved Berkeley, and he loved the community he’d built there. Mendoza earned his degree from UC Berkeley this spring, finishing his Haas Business degree (with some occasional commuting between Bloomington and Berkeley, a source told me). There are plenty of stories documenting his kindness and generosity here, particularly starting the Mendoza Burrito at La Burrita to raise money for his mother’s struggles with MS.

In his Heisman speech, in his Big Game speech, and in many other postgame interviews, he has always celebrated his community first and foremost. Mendoza embodied the spirit of a California Golden Bear, even if he couldn’t finish his football chapter with us.

It hurts that Mendoza couldn’t have been at this ceremony celebrating in the blue and gold, but his departure and immediate success outside of Strawberry Canyon did lead to long-term good outcomes for the Golden Bears. His departure and success emphasized that change was needed in Berkeley. The Wilcox era had held water to keep Cal from bottoming out, but losing a leader who saw the greatest of successes elsewhere was the reddest of red flags.

There had been many excuses that the Bears didn’t have the requisite talent needed to succeed in this era of Cal football, yet here was a talent who should never have left Cal, proving otherwise in a different ecosystem. This coaching tenure wasn’t maximizing talent in the way it needed to get this program to the next level, and change was needed urgently.

It is a shame things didn’t work out for Mendoza at Cal, but as is the nature of Cal fandom, there is a bright side: Mendoza’s departure opened up the pathway for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to return from Oregon, and become the starting quarterback for the Bears immediately in 2025. Sagapolutele’s talent is self-evident, and he will be returning in 2026 as one of the top talents in all of college football.

Tosh Lupoi has come onto the job, bringing sky-high expectations to Berkeley. He made it clear that talent identification would be a huge part of his coaching philosophy. He was decisive on Day 1 in flying out to Hawaii to secure the return of Sagapolutele, and then made sure to retain Nick Rolovich to ensure continuity in offensive philosophy. Sagapolutele is cut from the same cloth as Mendoza—a quarterback who loves being a California Golden Bear, but also needs to be sure the ecosystem around him is set up for success. In the era of NIL, it’ll be more critical than ever for Cal to secure its stars, or risk donor fatigue.

So in the end, Fernando Mendoza realized his dream through the doors that Cal opened. It’s time for Cal to open their own.