Fernando Mendoza emerged as college football's best player last season after transferring from Cal to Indiana, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading a national championship run before going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The quarterback needed a change of scenery to alter the direction of his football career, though, passing for 30 combined touchdowns to 16 interceptions in his first two seasons at Cal before scoring 48 total touchdowns to six interceptions in his lone campaign with the Hoosiers.
That said, Mendoza didn't sniff any top-100 players lists entering the season. Neither did Jeremiah Smith or Malachi Toney before their true freshmen seasons before developing -- very quickly -- into two of the best players in the country. Nor will there be any true freshman on this list -- otherwise, players such as Miami tackle Jackson Cantwell might have made an appearance.
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Source: https://www.aol.com/articles/whos-too-high-too-low-093528000.html
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