Jackson, Mendoza Selected to Preseason Watch Lists
8/1/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – First-year Indiana football student-athletes Makai Jackson and Fernando Mendoza have been named to the Paul Hornung Award and Allstate Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch lists, respectively.
With 20 career games played and 19 starts over three seasons at Cal, Mendoza was the No. 14 overall prospect in the Transfer Portal and No. 3 quarterback per 247Sports for the 2025 cycle. He finished his career at Cal as the all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) and tied for No. 7 in 250-yard passing games (10). His 2024 season produced just the ninth 3,000-yard passing season in Cal history (3,004 yards) and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Based around community impact, Mendoza was selected by the Wuerffel Trophy committee as one of the most impactful in college football. Through his prep and collegiate career, giving back to his communities has been an important part of Mendoza's journey. He coordinated the Christopher Columbus High School Turkey Drive in which 436 turkeys were given to families in need in Miami-Dade County, is a founding member of They Can Too, a global organization dedicated to helping and spreading awareness for youth in need and organized a Cuban Relief Service trip in which he and his grandfather, Alberto Espino, went to Cuba to give to back to their native community, locals and family members
While at Cal, Mendoza collaborated with La Burrita in Berkley, California, to create the Mendoza Burrito, in which all proceeds helped raise funds and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The cause is close to his heart, as his mother currently battles MS. He was also a part of Cal's Community Service Committee and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He was also one of three hosts of the 2024 Golden Buddies Football Clinic for youth with and without disabilities while at Cal.
Honoring college football's most impactful leaders in community service, the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field. National voters consider nominees from over 100 major universities. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy brothers support each other's efforts around the country.
Jackson has appeared in 37 career games with 20 starts over three collegiate seasons, two at Appalachian State (2023-24) and one at St. Francis (Pa.) (2022). He earned FCS All-America honors as a freshman at SFU alongside Elijah Sarratt and owns a reception in 24-straight games and 36 of 37 career games played. He owns seven career 100-yard receiving games and two multi-receiving touchdown games.
Jackson's versatility has seen him excel at wide receiver, see snaps at running back, as a kickoff returner and punt returner during his career.
The Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner March 2026 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Weurffel Trophy and Paul Hornung Award are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.
With 20 career games played and 19 starts over three seasons at Cal, Mendoza was the No. 14 overall prospect in the Transfer Portal and No. 3 quarterback per 247Sports for the 2025 cycle. He finished his career at Cal as the all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) and tied for No. 7 in 250-yard passing games (10). His 2024 season produced just the ninth 3,000-yard passing season in Cal history (3,004 yards) and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Based around community impact, Mendoza was selected by the Wuerffel Trophy committee as one of the most impactful in college football. Through his prep and collegiate career, giving back to his communities has been an important part of Mendoza's journey. He coordinated the Christopher Columbus High School Turkey Drive in which 436 turkeys were given to families in need in Miami-Dade County, is a founding member of They Can Too, a global organization dedicated to helping and spreading awareness for youth in need and organized a Cuban Relief Service trip in which he and his grandfather, Alberto Espino, went to Cuba to give to back to their native community, locals and family members
While at Cal, Mendoza collaborated with La Burrita in Berkley, California, to create the Mendoza Burrito, in which all proceeds helped raise funds and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The cause is close to his heart, as his mother currently battles MS. He was also a part of Cal's Community Service Committee and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He was also one of three hosts of the 2024 Golden Buddies Football Clinic for youth with and without disabilities while at Cal.
Honoring college football's most impactful leaders in community service, the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field. National voters consider nominees from over 100 major universities. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy brothers support each other's efforts around the country.
Jackson has appeared in 37 career games with 20 starts over three collegiate seasons, two at Appalachian State (2023-24) and one at St. Francis (Pa.) (2022). He earned FCS All-America honors as a freshman at SFU alongside Elijah Sarratt and owns a reception in 24-straight games and 36 of 37 career games played. He owns seven career 100-yard receiving games and two multi-receiving touchdown games.
Jackson's versatility has seen him excel at wide receiver, see snaps at running back, as a kickoff returner and punt returner during his career.
The Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner March 2026 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Weurffel Trophy and Paul Hornung Award are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.
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