The 2026 NFL Draft officially kicked off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, and the first round served as a massive coronation for Indiana’s football resurgence.
Following Indiana University’s historic 16-0 national championship run, the dividends of that success officially cashes out at the professional level. At the center of the draft board were two defining figures of IU’s title run: a Heisman-winning transplant who found his greatness in Bloomington and a homegrown Indianapolis kid who chose to stay in his own backyard to make history.
Mendoza goes No. 1
The draft officially unfurled with the Las Vegas Raiders selecting IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
Mendoza’s journey to the top of the draft board was far from conventional. A native of Miami, Florida, Mendoza arrived at IU in 2025 as a transfer from UC Berkeley. Embracing the midwestern stage, he guided the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season, defeating Alabama, Oregon, and Miami in the College Football Playoff en route to the national championship.
His 2025 campaign was statistically sound. Mendoza completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards and an FBS-leading 41 touchdown passes. He took home the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, AP College Football Player of the Year and Big Ten MVP honors.
“This moment, it’s an honor, it’s bigger than me,” Mendoza said after the draft selection. “It’s a product of a family, team, community and a whole lot of people who believed in me long before anybody knew my name.”
Lawrence North’s Cooper goes pro
While Mendoza was the overall headliner, the emotional core of the night for Indianapolis came at the back end of the first round. The New York Jets traded up to select IU wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with the No. 30 pick.
For the Circle City, Cooper’s selection hits differently. A graduate of Lawrence North High School, Cooper was a highly touted four-star prospect who chose to stay in-state. That loyalty paid off in a massive way during his 2025 campaign.
Cooper hauled in 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns in the 2025 season, acting as the go-to wide receiver for Indiana’s first-ever national championship team. He secured crucial touchdowns in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Alabama and Oregon. However, Cooper authored a signature, game-winning, back-of-the-end-zone, toe-tapping catch against Penn State during the regular season to keep the undefeated streak alive.
Notre Dame backfield joins the party
The Indiana footprint in the first round extended up north to South Bend as well. The running back position saw a massive resurgence, bookended by two Notre Dame standouts.
Explosive athlete Jeremiyah Love was selected No. 3 overall by the Arizona Cardinals, becoming the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018. His backfield counterpart, Jadarian Price, closed out the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by going No. 32 overall to the Seattle Seahawks.
Contact multimedia reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news, visit indianapolisrecorder.com
Noral Parham is the multi-media reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
