Historic NFL Draft for the Indiana Hoosiers: Eight Players Selected
The 2026 NFL Draft was historic for the Indiana Hoosiers, as a record eight players were selected – the most for IU in a single draft. Let’s break down who went where and what their situation looks like heading into the pros.
QB Fernando Mendoza: Las Vegas Raiders
In a surprise to absolutely no one, Fernando Mendoza was selected No. 1 overall in the draft, adding to his case for the most successful season by an individual athlete in IU history. Being the number one pick, though, means he’s being tasked to help turn around a team in dire need of playmakers at multiple positions. In Mendoza’s case, it’s the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that went 3-14 last year. Despite that, there is a good chance he won’t see the field much his rookie season. New Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak stated his plan on rookie quarterbacks:
“Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1…You'd love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That's in a perfect world. It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it's our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”
Solidifying that plan, the Raiders went and signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 5-year contract worth $172 million before the draft. Cousins was a pro comparison for Mendoza a lot leading up to the draft, both in playing style and in off-field manners (a meme floating around online said that the Cousins-Mendoza tandem would keep Las Vegas’ Kohl’s in business).
WR Omar Cooper Jr.: New York Jets
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With the 30th overall pick, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets took Omar Cooper Jr., trading up to get him. Cooper was one of Mendoza’s go-to targets, leading the team in receptions (69) and yards (937). One of his most memorable moments came in the palpation-inducing comeback against Penn State, where he manipulated his body to tap his feet in the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown on a game-winning drive in the final seconds.
He joins a Jets team that is starved for offense, as they had the fourth-lowest yards per game (263.6) and were dead last in passing yards per game (140.3) last season. ESPN has Cooper slotted in as the team’s WR3 behind Garrett Wilson and former Colt Adonai Mitchell.