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Curt Cignetti outlines expected usage for new Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
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Curt Cignetti worked wonders in Year 1 at Indiana, and a big part of that involved quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
The Hoosiers were 1 of the darlings of college football last fall, winning 11 games and earning an unlikely berth in the College Football Playoff. There were a lot of reasons for Indiana’s sudden success, and of course, Cignetti had a lot to do with that, too, because he’s won everywhere he’s been.
Like Cignetti, Rourke arrived in Bloomington in 2024 after transferring from Ohio, and the quarterback and coach were great together. Rourke threw for over 3,000 yards in his 1 season with Cignetti to eclipse 10,000 yards during his collegiate career.
That’s all great, but Rourke won’t be there again this fall for Cignetti. Rourke is now property of the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted the QB in the 7th round of last month’s NFL Draft.
Enter Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, who will have big shoes to fill at Indiana in 2025. The Miami native threw for over 3,000 yards last fall for the Bears, with 16 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. There is a lot of potential for more success at Indiana because of Mendoza’s dual-threat capability, and Cignetti is already plotting the course right now in May.
He explained a little of that process on Greg McElroy’s podcast, Always College Football.
“I think with (Mendoza) you’re going to get some of it without even calling it,” said Cignetti of Mendoza’s ability to run, too. “He’s a big guy, he’s got big movement, can make all the throws. You’ll probably see a little quarterback run here and there.”
Mendoza is 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, which was the size that Cignetti was referring to. Now it’ll be up to the coach to get the most out of his new quarterback, both in the passing game and, yes, with a little run or 2 here and there.