The Indiana Hoosiers won their championship but lost both the Mendoza brothers. The Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, declared himself for the NFL draft, while his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza, entered the transfer portal. Now at Georgia Tech, the former Hoosier reflects on the transition from Bloomington to Atlanta.

“I think the environment is very similar,” Alberto said in his remarks after the spring game. “Championship programs. Very similar. Obviously, a transition anywhere, especially from a college town to a big city, isn’t easy. But I think I’ve gotten accustomed to the team. Became some good friends with some of the guys. It hasn’t been easy.”

Alberto spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign as a backup to his brother. In limited action at Indiana, he completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, after the national championship run, Curt Cignetti was moving in a different direction, with TCU transfer Josh Hoover. That would have meant another year as a backup for Alberto.

With hopes of regular playing time, he entered the portal, and Brent Key didn’t waste much time before getting his signature. In the same press conference, Alberto also compared his transition to that of his brother, Fernando Mendoza, who moved from Cal to Indiana.

But I feel like it’s smoother than my brother’s transition from Cal to Indiana. It was a lot smoother than that. I really embraced the Atlanta, Georgia Tech community. It’s been phenomenal. I couldn’t have wished for anything more than I have gotten,” Alberto Mendoza said.

Fernando Mendoza, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, transferred to the Hoosiers in 2024. Nearly a week after his commitment to Indiana, the paperwork did not fall through, and Miami made every effort to use that opportunity to flip him. He stuck with Curt Cignetti and played with his brother for two seasons.

In comparison, Alberto’s portal experience was rather smooth. Brent Key knew that he needed a starter to replace Haynes King, who declared for the draft, and Alberto was just the right QB he was looking for. During spring practice, the Indiana transfer established himself as a favorite, and the coaches are also happy with him.

“Alberto is the guy,” said Coach Brent Key. On his part, Alberto has embraced Georgia Tech’s culture. Just like Indiana, he finds the Yellow Jackets a team, in which everyone is looking for each other.

“We’re really a family, a close-knit team. That’s what the best teams do. They’re very close, they’re very, like, just very close,” he said.

Alberto Mendoza’s performance in the Spring Game

Alberto is currently competing with redshirt freshman Grady Adamson for the starting role. However, going by the spring game, it looks like Brent Key knows who’ll be his starter in the season-opener against Colorado on September 3.

During the spring game, Alberto led his team to a 34-10 victory by completing 12 of 16 passes for 148 yards and 1 touchdown. Mendoza particularly impressed the coaching staff with his good throws and how he did not put the ball in harm’s way. Even Coach Key praised the Indiana transfer.

“Obviously, he still has to compete and still has to win the job, but he’s done nothing to disappoint me, and I think that’s not going to be the case,” Key said

Grady Adamson completed 8 of 11 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown and also ran for a score. After the game, Grady discussed his performance and said he wouldn’t back down.

“I think, overall, definitely started slow. But I think the second half came out a little better. I saw some of the reads and made some good throws, but overall definitely a lot of things to improve on. But it was good just getting out here this spring and getting better.”

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