Fernando Mendoza V (born October 1, 2003) is an American professional football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. Raised in Miami with deep Cuban roots—his grandparents emigrated from Cuba in 1960—he idolized Tom Brady and starred at Christopher Columbus High School before beginning his college career at California, where he redshirted in 2022 and became the starting quarterback in 2023. After graduating from Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Mendoza transferred to Indiana University in late 2024, and in the 2025 season he delivered a spectacular campaign, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Hoosiers to a national championship. His record-breaking year, which included a five-touchdown performance against No. 9 Illinois, propelled him to be selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL draft. Notably, he is a descendant of Don Antonio Ysidoro González de Mendoza Bonilla, the first president of Cuba's Supreme Court, adding a unique historical lineage to his rise.