Draft Declaration - Football Wiretap

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza announced Friday he will enter the 2026 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the top-ranked Hoosiers to their first national championship. The junior is widely expected to be selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in April.

Mendoza confirmed his decision on Instagram, writing he was "humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft." He added a simple message: "Let's get to work."

Raiders majority owner Mark Davis, minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek attended Indiana's 27-21 victory over No. 10 Miami in the CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday. Their presence fueled speculation about the Raiders' interest in the star quarterback, who chose to leave school rather than return for his senior season.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, considered another potential top pick, elected to return to the Ducks for one more college campaign. His decision likely cleared Mendoza's path to becoming the first selection when the draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Mendoza transferred to Indiana after two seasons at Cal and completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards with an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns against six interceptions. He also contributed 276 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.

In Monday's championship game against the Hurricanes, Mendoza threw for 186 yards and delivered a crucial 12-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter that gave Indiana a 10-point advantage. The victory made the Hoosiers just the second team in history to finish 16-0 and the first in the modern era, joining Yale's 1894 squad.

If selected first by Las Vegas, Mendoza would become only the third player to win the Heisman Trophy, a national championship and the top draft pick within a 12-month span. Joe Burrow accomplished the feat in 2020 with LSU and the Cincinnati Bengals, while Auburn's Cam Newton did so in 2011 with the Carolina Panthers.

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq will leave the program early to declare for the NFL draft, sources told ESPN on Tuesday night. Mel Kiper's No. 1-ranked tight end in the 2026 draft and No. 10 overall player, Sadiq was a key figure in the Ducks' offense this season.

Sadiq led all college football tight ends in touchdown catches this year with eight. He was Oregon's second-leading pass-catcher with 51 receptions for 560 yards for a team that finished 13-2 and reached the College Football Playoff.

The 20-year-old finished his career with five catches and 29 yards in the 56-22 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff Semifinal last week. For his career, Sadiq totaled 80 catches for 892 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

"Kenyon's a special player, man. I think we're lucky to have the best tight end in the nation," coach Dan Lanning said this season. "His play has shown that. We're better when he's out there with us. And certainly, he's a tough guy to defend, right?"

Sadiq's top performances this season included two touchdown catches against USC and eight catches for 96 yards against Rutgers. In 2024, he caught two touchdowns against Penn State in the Big Ten title game and finished the year with 24 catches for 308 yards.

Oregon remains well-situated at tight end despite Sadiq's expected departure. The Ducks secured the return of Jamari Johnson, who projects as one of the top tight ends for the 2027 NFL Draft. They also have Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh and incoming freshman Kendre' Harrison, ESPN's top-rated tight end recruit for 2026 and No. 14 overall player in the class.

Sadiq is expected to test well at the NFL Combine at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds with enough athleticism that Oregon designed run plays for him. He ran the ball nine times in his career. Sadiq projects atop a strong group of tight ends in this class including Ohio State's Max Klare, Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers, Texas' Jack Endries and Cincinnati's Joe Royer.

Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese announced Thursday he is leaving school early to declare for the NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Reese as the No. 4 overall prospect and his top off-ball linebacker in the 2026 class.

"I want to thank all of Buckeye Nation," Reese wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "It was truly an honor to suit up in the scarlet and grey."

Reese becomes the third projected top-10 pick from Ohio State to declare this week, joining wide receiver Carnell Tate and safety Caleb Downs.

Reese emerged as one of college football's breakout stars in 2025, tallying 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks for an Ohio State defense that ranked No. 1 nationally. The Buckeyes allowed just 9.3 points per game with Reese anchoring the unit.

Reese earned consensus All-American honors, was named Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and finished as a Butkus Award finalist. His performance helped Ohio State maintain one of the nation's most dominant defenses throughout the season.

Quarterback Ty Simpson has left Alabama to declare for the 2026 NFL draft. Simpson could be the third quarterback selected behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore.

Simpson threw for 3,567 yards to go with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. 

Simpson leaves college football with only 15 starts, but he has operated like a veteran at the line of scrimmage. Simpson is already 23 years old and spent four years at Alabama.

NFL evaluators don't believe he is worthy of a first round pick and needs to develop more deep accuracy. 

Keelon Russell will likely enter the offseason as the favorite to start at quarterback in 2026 for Alabama, though transfer Austin Mack is also in the mix. Russell was the No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class.

Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos has dropped his appeal for another year of college eligibility and declared for the NFL draft.

Castellanos thanked family, friends, coaches and teammates and "everyone who has supported me along this journey" in a statement posted on social media.

Just Win Management Group, which represented Castellanos during his legal fight, said it supported his decision.

Quinshon Judkins has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving Ohio State following their national championship. 

In his lone season with the Buckeyes, Judkins rushed for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns. His strong performance in the national championship game gave him 50 touchdowns for his career.

Judkins  transferred to Ohio State from Ole Miss with the goal of sharing snaps with Henderson and reducing the wear and tear off his body. Judkins is considered a probable second or third round pick and could be the second running back on some team's boards after Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison has declared for the NFL draft. Morrison was a freshman All-America selection in 2022. An October hip injury ended his 2024 season

Morrison announced his decision Thursday on social media, writing, "This is not just the end of one chapter -- it's the beginning of another. I'll carry the lessons, memories, and love from Notre Dame every step of the way."

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. lists Morrison as his No. 23 overall prospect and No. 3 cornerback for the draft.

Defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. has announced he is leaving Tennessee to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. Pearce had 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 38 total tackles this past season.

Pearce is expected to be a mid-first round pick.

Quinn Ewers has declared for the 2025 NFL draft, leaving Texas after leading the school to the College Football Playoff semifinals each of the past two seasons. Ewers went 21-5 as a starter the last two years.

Ewers will be a fascinating draft prospect, as one general manager told ESPN that among his scouts there was a "wild variance" of opinions. His three years in the offensive system with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, pure arm talent and consistent production will be positives. 

Ewers was the No. 2 overall recruit in the court when he came out of high school a year early in the Class of 2021. 

Trevor Etienne has left Georgia for the 2025 NFL draft. Etienne rushed for 609 yards, second on the team behind Nate Frazier, while also catching 32 passes for 194 yards. Etienne’s older brother, Travis, plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Etienne is not considered a top-10 running back in the draft class.