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The Indiana Hoosiers enter the 2026 season as the defending national champions, and in their quest to go back-to-back they will have a new quarterback room. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza will head off to the NFL as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. His younger brother, Alberto, who served as his backup, will enter the transfer portal, where Georgia Tech is expected to have interest, sources told CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. 

The younger Mendoza appeared in nine games for the Hoosiers, as they regularly found themselves comfortably in front late in games where they could pull the starters. In those appearances, Alberto Mendoza completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts in 2025 for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. 

If the Yellow Jackets are indeed Mendoza's destination, it could represent an excellent fit. Georgia Tech's starter Haynes King graduated and Aaron Philo transferred to Florida, following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, leaving them with a clear need at quarterback. Mendoza would fill that void and join a Yellow Jackets roster that's added a top running back in Michigan's Justice Haynes and a top receiver in Alabama's Jaylen Mbakwe during this portal window. 

The departure of Alberto Mendoza isn't a surprise considering Indiana already filled it's starting quarterback spot for 2026 in the transfer portal prior to the national title game. The Hoosiers signed former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who will be Curt Cignetti's third straight starter acquired via the transfer portal. 

The first two have worked out incredibly well, with Kurtis Rourke helping them reach their first Playoff appearance in 2024 and then Mendoza leading them to their first-ever national title in 2025. That ramps up the pressure on Hoover to keep Indiana as a national title contender, but they certainly appear set to reload for another run at the Playoff in Cignetti's third season.