It’s clear that, for many, the best talent available in the upcoming Draft at the quarterback position is Fernando Mendoza, who had a spectacular season with the Indiana Hoosiers and has become the top favorite to be the first overall pick, potentially becoming the new quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders next season.
At the start of last NCAA Football season, the clear frontrunners at quarterback were Arch Manning, Drew Allar, and Cade Klubnik; no one had Fernando Mendoza on their radar. As the season progressed, other quarterbacks declined, while Mendoza improved his game, finishing with a historic season.
Fernando Mendoza established himself as the top quarterback after leading the Hoosiers to a national championship with a 16-0 record, 41 touchdown passes, and over 3,500 yards. The quarterback also won the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college player in the nation.
Comparisons have begun, and Fernando Mendoza is no stranger to them.
It’s clear that Fernando Mendoza’s future is in Las Vegas, and while the team isn’t changing its mind, comparisons are a normal part of the pre-Draft process for a top prospect.
In recent hours, the name of Ty Simpson, Alabama quarterback, has been gaining traction. Projections have him as the second quarterback likely to be drafted, though some believe he could go in the second round. Nonetheless, his talent is attracting increasing attention from teams.
Dan Orlovsky, former NFL quarterback, made a bold statement, saying that at the start of the season he rated Simpson higher than Mendoza: “Ty Simpson’s tape from Alabama, through the first eight games of the season, is significantly more impressive than Fernando Mendoza’s,” said the ESPN analyst.
This doesn’t change anything: Fernando Mendoza will be a Las Vegas Raiders player, but Ty Simpson’s name will continue to be mentioned frequently. Even if he’s projected for the second or third round, it wouldn’t be surprising if a team in the early first round made a move to draft him, similar to what the New York Giants did with Jaxson Dart last year.
A couple of months remain until the Draft, but it’s clear that Ty Simpson is the second-favorite quarterback to be selected, with rumors suggesting the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested in him.
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