Mendoza’s announcement comes after the redshirt sophomore had a phenomenal season with the Bears. Mendoza passed for 3,004 yards, which was sixth in the ACC and the ninth-most in a single season in school history, per Sports Illustrated’s Jake Curtis. His completion percentage (68.7 percent) is currently 10th in the country, according to TeamRankings.
Mendoza took to social media Wednesday morning to officially break the news himself.
While Cal only went 6-6 in its debut season in the ACC, Mendoza had several bright spots throughout the season. While the Golden Bears lost to then-No. 8 Miami, 39-38, Mendoza accounted for 285 passing yards and two TDs. He helped Cal close out the regular season with a 24-21 win over Stanford after leading the Golden Bears on a game-winning, 98-yard TD drive.
Overall, Mendoza passed for 200 or more yards in all but two games during the 2024 season, recording multiple TD passes in six of them.
With Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward heading to the NFL, the Miami native Mendoza could potentially join the Hurricanes next season. While that seems like a realistic possibility, Mendoza’s younger brother, Alberto, is currently on the Indiana roster and the Hoosiers are going to need to find a replacement for QB Kurtis Rourke.
Regardless of Mendoza’s decision, Cal is losing an efficient pocket-passer. The talented QB still has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so he will be highly sought after as several high-profile teams plan for the future.
