Fernando Mendoza lets Ty Simpson know what he thinks of him during NFL Scouting

Fernando Mendoza has spent the past year being labeled the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The former Indiana Hoosiers football star led the program to its first national championship and captured the Heisman Trophy, cementing his status as the face of the draft class. But at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Mendoza made headlines for a different reason — enthusiastically cheering on one of his biggest competitors. As Ty Simpson stepped up to throw during drills, Mendoza could be seen clapping and nodding in approval as the former Alabama Crimson Tide football quarterback delivered a series of precise passes.