"Quite frankly, there's no way that the Hoosiers would have made it to the College Football Playoff National Championship without their star quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. They certainly wouldn't have been able to beat Miami without the heroic effort the Heisman Trophy winner produced on Monday night."
IOW, IU didn't make Fernando better, Fernando made IU better.
This is the post announcing Fernando Mendoza's arrival at Cal. I read through the comments and it's clear that we saw his potential (shout out Rugbear who picked up on his Hallmark quick release). He had incredible confidence that wasn't boastful. I don't know which school he'll read out on the broadcasts, but I would not be surprised to hear one version with "Haas School of Business." And, regardless, he'll be repping his Cal degree even after he finishes his football career.
I hope he stays connected with Berkeley. Between him and Jaylen Brown, we have two very special athletes poised to do amazing things off the field.
Mendoza bros deliver the ultimate smack down/payback to Miami for that crushing/soul annihilating defeat on Game Day & head scratchers like throwing Rogers in ad hoc on key plays/etc. Will be interesting to see if Fernando + the horrific Big Game 2025 ultimately helped save Cal Football/Athletics & cured our collective/multi generational Cal Football PTSD😀
Don't forget it took Cignetti two years to get Indiana to the top. I'm this era of NIL and the portal, we have one of the very best coaches available. Go Tosh & Go Bears!
I have no idea what Fernando looked like as true freshman, but safe to say he was not ready for P5 football. When he walked onto the field for the first time as a red-shirt in 2023 I had no idea who he was but I and everyone else immediately saw he was something special. He took command of the offense. He started every game for Cal after that, until he took himself out for SMU. The "JW didn't know what he had" is revisionist piling on.
I also don't buy that he was poorly coached until he went to IU. He was a fully developed impact QB in 2024 - just look at the Miami game and Big Game. And Cignetti KNEW THAT which is why he poached Fernando and made him his starter.
I kinda agree with this comment though. If he didn't come to Cal, I think he was going to Yale or Harvard. Would he even be in this situation if Wilcox didn't give him an opportunity?
Maggie McDermott
@MaggieM92177895
·
1h
But no one but Wilcox wanted Fernando -not even his hometown school, Miami.
Wilcox saw greatness & gave him the opportunity to learn & grow. And he did. Cal & Fernando together moved forward. (See the Miami game in ‘24)
Cig got a QB w/ 3 years of bad habits cleaned up by Cal
Yeah I agree too. Not sure if it was Wilcox or Musgrave who really saw the talent in Mendoza but ultimately Wilcox should get credit for signing him. Personally I credit Gilbert for developing Mendoza. He made a big jump in RS sophomore season.
And while Vic Enwere is correct that coaching matters, it's not just position specific but rather...putting these players in a system and surrounding them with other great talent. Those running backs at IU are studs and the biggest difference between IU and Cal is that Fernando could focus more on managing the game and not having to make all the plays.
Came here to drop my usual “two off-seasons in a row Wilcox couldn’t figure out Fernando was the guy in time for the opener,” but you beat me to it. Couldn’t be happier for him. Worked out well for all parties involved. We got experience for our young starter and did not quite enough to save Wilcox’s job. All in all, a successful year. Now if we could only get back some of those millions that Wilcox stole from our donors.
Serious comment: Yes, we are doing all the right things. I read about Cignetti's pitch to IU's administration. Ron Rivera and Chancellor Lyons have ensured that Tosh is getting those things. Our work in the portal has been done very rationally (as far as I can tell without knowing the dollars).
I'm not sure anyone can pull off the "team of seniors" that Cignetti did now that college football has cleared the upperclassmen surplus of the covid bonus year. But there are still valuable lessons to be learned and, as far as I can tell, copying elements of Indiana with a large dose of Oregon culture seems like a pretty great approach to me.
This says it succinctly, from writer Grant Young:
"Quite frankly, there's no way that the Hoosiers would have made it to the College Football Playoff National Championship without their star quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. They certainly wouldn't have been able to beat Miami without the heroic effort the Heisman Trophy winner produced on Monday night."
IOW, IU didn't make Fernando better, Fernando made IU better.
This is the post announcing Fernando Mendoza's arrival at Cal. I read through the comments and it's clear that we saw his potential (shout out Rugbear who picked up on his Hallmark quick release). He had incredible confidence that wasn't boastful. I don't know which school he'll read out on the broadcasts, but I would not be surprised to hear one version with "Haas School of Business." And, regardless, he'll be repping his Cal degree even after he finishes his football career.
I hope he stays connected with Berkeley. Between him and Jaylen Brown, we have two very special athletes poised to do amazing things off the field.
https://open.substack.com/pub/writeforcalifornia/p/fernando-mendoza-cal-bears-football-commit?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4e249
Love your spirit Avi! Now is the time. Go Bears!
Those are great pix of him flying over the goal line, but escaping the tackles on the way there was also quite awesome.
Alberto Mendoza in the portal
Would be hilarious if he transfers to Miami. Apparently it's Georgia Tech, though.
Mendoza bros deliver the ultimate smack down/payback to Miami for that crushing/soul annihilating defeat on Game Day & head scratchers like throwing Rogers in ad hoc on key plays/etc. Will be interesting to see if Fernando + the horrific Big Game 2025 ultimately helped save Cal Football/Athletics & cured our collective/multi generational Cal Football PTSD😀
Nando got a lot of practice scrambling for his life here
On the ESPN broadcast I did not hear any mention of Fernando losing to Miami last year, although I missed pregame.
Nando did not lose. We lost, thanks to Wilcox’s ooor second half game management and massive help of a terrible non-call on targeting
A team guy like Nando might see it differently, but my point is it was an unreported storyline that has recent significance.
Plenty of non-calls last night too. It’s like someone was trying to keep Nando from winning. But last night, he won anyway.
Don't forget it took Cignetti two years to get Indiana to the top. I'm this era of NIL and the portal, we have one of the very best coaches available. Go Tosh & Go Bears!
Fernando just won the Heisman, Natty, Natty MVP, and will be eventual #1 overall draft pick.
Remember when JW was forcing snaps to Chandler Rodgers and bringing 2 QBs to media day.. Makes you realize JW literally had no clue on offense..
I have no idea what Fernando looked like as true freshman, but safe to say he was not ready for P5 football. When he walked onto the field for the first time as a red-shirt in 2023 I had no idea who he was but I and everyone else immediately saw he was something special. He took command of the offense. He started every game for Cal after that, until he took himself out for SMU. The "JW didn't know what he had" is revisionist piling on.
I also don't buy that he was poorly coached until he went to IU. He was a fully developed impact QB in 2024 - just look at the Miami game and Big Game. And Cignetti KNEW THAT which is why he poached Fernando and made him his starter.
Vic Enwere is so open about his displeasure of Wilcox.
https://x.com/i/status/2013483534183432309
Oh shit, Vic's not mincing words! Lol Hope he's much more enthusiastic about our current direction.
I kinda agree with this comment though. If he didn't come to Cal, I think he was going to Yale or Harvard. Would he even be in this situation if Wilcox didn't give him an opportunity?
Maggie McDermott
@MaggieM92177895
·
1h
But no one but Wilcox wanted Fernando -not even his hometown school, Miami.
Wilcox saw greatness & gave him the opportunity to learn & grow. And he did. Cal & Fernando together moved forward. (See the Miami game in ‘24)
Cig got a QB w/ 3 years of bad habits cleaned up by Cal
Eventual #1 draft pick was splitting snaps with a kid who couldn’t play in Canada if he wanted to… let that sink in…
Yeah I agree too. Not sure if it was Wilcox or Musgrave who really saw the talent in Mendoza but ultimately Wilcox should get credit for signing him. Personally I credit Gilbert for developing Mendoza. He made a big jump in RS sophomore season.
I think Bill Musgrave gets some credit here too.
And while Vic Enwere is correct that coaching matters, it's not just position specific but rather...putting these players in a system and surrounding them with other great talent. Those running backs at IU are studs and the biggest difference between IU and Cal is that Fernando could focus more on managing the game and not having to make all the plays.
Don't forget Sam Jackson IV the previous season....
Came here to drop my usual “two off-seasons in a row Wilcox couldn’t figure out Fernando was the guy in time for the opener,” but you beat me to it. Couldn’t be happier for him. Worked out well for all parties involved. We got experience for our young starter and did not quite enough to save Wilcox’s job. All in all, a successful year. Now if we could only get back some of those millions that Wilcox stole from our donors.
Serious comment: Yes, we are doing all the right things. I read about Cignetti's pitch to IU's administration. Ron Rivera and Chancellor Lyons have ensured that Tosh is getting those things. Our work in the portal has been done very rationally (as far as I can tell without knowing the dollars).
I'm not sure anyone can pull off the "team of seniors" that Cignetti did now that college football has cleared the upperclassmen surplus of the covid bonus year. But there are still valuable lessons to be learned and, as far as I can tell, copying elements of Indiana with a large dose of Oregon culture seems like a pretty great approach to me.
Mario Cristobal rn https://imgur.com/a/3kZ02Ak
Art https://www.instagram.com/p/DTt8-N8kXP7/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==