Is a Heisman Trophy and a national title enough to make Fernando Mendoza a better NFL prospect than Miami’s record-breaking Cam Ward? For fans, the answer isn’t so simple.

As the projected No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, Mendoza is expected to earn approximately $55 million under the rookie-scale contract for four years as the top selection. As if the spotlight was not already bright enough, Mendoza’s comparison to Cam Ward made complete sense.

The 2025 No. 1 pick finished his Miami career with multiple records, including the program’s single-season passing yards record (4,313) and the most single-season passing touchdowns in school history.

Mendoza also broke Indiana records in 2025. He became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner and the first from Indiana to win the award while competing in the Big Ten. He also became the first Hoosier quarterback to throw 30 touchdowns in a season and finished tied for No. 3 in Big Ten history for single-season passing touchdowns.

With all those records in place, the resemblance is uncanny. Statistically, Ward and Mendoza posted impressive numbers in their final seasons. Ward recorded a 67.2 percent completion rate, throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Mendoza posted a 72.0 percent completion rate, with 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns.

But Ward has put one year into the highly competitive NFL. It has been nothing less than a challenging year with the Titans for Ward. But we can’t put all the blame on him. The HC, Brian Callahan, was relieved of his head coaching duties after a miserable 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. But Ward also has a habit of running around post snap as he hunts for a big play. This results in him getting sacked a lot.

“We’ve taken too many sacks as an offense,” Interim HC Mike McCoy said back in November. “At times, there’s an opportunity to throw balls away when you’re outside the pocket. That will come with experience and him understanding it. When do you dirt balls? When is it better to try to get out of a problem instead of just getting the ball out of your hand? There’s a number of things that come into play. You obviously want to minimize the yardage you lose.”

However, their playing styles and overall abilities show a stark difference. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained that while Mendoza shares some similarities with Ward, the two quarterbacks differ significantly in how they play.

“You could not be any more polar opposite as players,” Jeremiah said. “With Cam Ward, it was kind of the magic, the off-schedule magic that he had, to go along with just a loose, fluid motion. Whereas Mendoza is a little more robotic in his movement than Cam, but still has a strong arm. I think he does a really good job of protecting the football. Both of them excelled in the RPO game.”

Surely, Mendoza displayed his full array of physical attributes after he twisted his body for a touchdown during that magical fourth down touchdown in the CFP final. While Cam Ward breathes life into the offense with a dynamic skill set, Mendoza is a coach’s dream with efficiency and grit. While Jeremiah praised both players for their skill sets, fans did not share the same view.

Fans are divided over the Mendoza vs. Ward debate

As expected, fans were divided on the comparison. Choosing between this year’s projected No. 1 pick and the previous year’s top selection was always going to end up in a debate. “My king Mendoza, of course,” one fan commented. Another fan disagreed, writing, “Cam Ward, because he can move.”

However, some fans went into detail about why they believed their preferred player was better. One fan commented, “I’m taking Cam. I think he has a much higher ceiling. Mendoza has shown flashes of what it takes to succeed in the NFL, but he’s going to be a system guy. I think Cam can fit into almost any offensive scheme and find success because of his athleticism and high IQ at the quarterback position.”

Another fan suggested a comparison to Bo Nix was more fitting than one to Cam Ward, arguing that Mendoza and Ward are very different players. Another commented, “Cam Ward for me. Mendoza looks like a similar NFL player to Bo Nix.” One fan sided with Mendoza, writing, “Mendoza. Mostly because Cam Ward is a good athlete, but not a good football player.”

One interesting turn in the debate came when a fan sided with Cam Ward based on video evidence from his early NFL performances. “Cam. Did you see some of his rookie tape? Despite the struggles, some of the plays he made were insane,” the fan commented.

Another fan added more context to the comparison.

“Is the argument about if they were both coming out of college right now, who would we choose? I’d go with Mendoza, but it would be very close. But if we include seeing Cam play in the NFL for a year, that changes things. Based on college alone, I’m taking Mendoza barely. With NFL tape, it’s a different argument.”

There is a difference of opinion regarding the choice between Ward and Mendoza. However, both players played their best games in their final year of college and are probably going to face each other someday in the NFL.