Georgia football coach Kirby Smart misses call from Fernando Mendoza, commits to Indiana instead

Indiana football fans should be so thankful that Georgia coach Kirby Smart missed that telephone call.

In the spring of 2025, quarterback Fernando Mendoza was leaving California and had decided he would attend Georgia. His mother, Elsa, thought he should go to Indiana.

Mendoza, with some help from fellow Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins, told the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast about the process.

"It was a late-night decision, and it was really coming between the two. I took another night to rest on it. I wanted to go to Georgia, but my mom was like, 'Yo, you gotta go to Indiana,'" Mendoza said, acknowledging that his mother didn't say, "Yo."

His conclusion: "Mom knows best."

Cousins added that Mendoza called Smart to commit, but no one answered, so he took another night to weigh his options.

Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and the Hoosiers went 16-0 to win the most unlikely national championship in college football history.

This might haunt some bulldog fans 😳 pic.twitter.com/P8t7sRiLK1

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Georgia football coach Kirby Smart misses call from Fernando Mendoza, commits to Indiana instead