Indiana star Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman as Jets questions loom

The Jets have about four months to decide if Fernando Mendoza is the Chosen One who can lead them out of their ever-growing and all-encompassing wilderness.On Saturday, the college football world endorsed him.The Indiana quarterback is the Heisman Trophy winner, selected amid an undefeated and historic season during which he has been the engine of an offense that has averaged more than 40 points per game.Heisman today, Jet tomorrow?“I’ve only heard fantastic things about Coach [Aaron] Glenn.I think he’s done a fantastic job,” Mendoza said from the Marriott Marquis in Midtown before the ceremony.

“Honestly, right now, although I’m focused on the College Football Playoff, I strongly believe that it would be a blessing to be drafted by any team.”Mendoza, who has guided the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record, their first No.1 ranking and the top seed in the CFP, received 643 first-place votes to become the first Heisman winner in school history.Diego Pavia  — who essentially was Vanderbilt’s whole team, while Mendoza was the best player on the best team — finished second in the voting, which consists largely of media members and also includes former Heisman winners and fans.Mendoza became the fourth quarterback in the past five years to win the award given to the nation’s most outstanding player, only two-way star Travis Hunter interrupting the QB reign last season.

Three of this year’s four finalists were signal-callers, the lone intruder — Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love — falling short of becoming the first running back to capture the award since Derrick Henry in 2015.A Miami native and transfer from Cal, Mendoza threw for 2,980 yards, led college football with 33 touchdown passes and ran for another six while throwing just six interceptions this season.In his first and likely only year in the Hoosiers offense, he put together three straight games of at least four passing TDs and zero interceptions; was rarely tested in the game’s final moments,...