While the Raiders hand their franchise turnaround hopes to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza under new head coach Klint Kubiak after a brutal 3–14 season in 2025, not everyone is completely sold on the idea just yet. Despite his decorated college résumé, Mendoza still faces questions about whether he can elevate what has been regarded as one of the league’s weakest offenses. In fact, before the rookie quarterback can even focus on changing the Raiders’ fortunes, there are already parts of the NFL game he needs to catch up on.

One of the biggest adjustments stems from the offense Mendoza played in during college. He operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun in 2025, taking just 3% of his snaps under center. Across three collegiate seasons at Cal and Indiana combined, he reportedly took only five snaps from under center. It’s a far different reality from Kubiak’s system, which leans heavily on play-action and under-center timing. Scouts still value Mendoza’s accuracy, composure, and ability to make throws under pressure more than the system he came from, but the transition remains significant. And judging by early rookie minicamp reports, the Raiders already seem focused on closing that gap.

“During the media viewing period of practice, Mendoza primarily took snaps under center — which is what he is expected to do in coach Klint Kubiak’s offensive scheme,” wrote ESPN journalist Ryan McFadden. “Mendoza said he ‘still has a long way to go’ to learn how to play under center after operating mostly in shotgun formation at California and Indiana.”

While serving as offensive coordinator in Seattle, Kubiak’s Seahawks offense logged 534 snaps from under center, the second-most in the league. That shift changes almost everything for a quarterback mechanically. Instead of seeing the defense immediately after the snap from a deeper alignment, Mendoza now has to turn his back during play-action concepts, reset his eyes quickly, sync his drops with route timing, and operate in much tighter space.

“Instead of being back there in shotgun, we have to get back to make sure you best serve your offensive linemen, still be on time [and] still decipher the defense,” said Mendoza. “And with that, actually having an emphasis on those first two steps, on securing the snap and getting out of there, and [being] powerful with having quick feet.”

Mendoza admitted the volume of information being thrown at him early in rookie minicamp has felt like a “firehose,” which is often the reality for first-year quarterbacks learning a completely new system. But the under-center footwork has clearly become the biggest developmental emphasis. Kubiak’s scheme not only reduces his space but also his visuals. Additionally, he needs to operate faster, as defenders have less ground to cover before collapsing the pocket. Kubiak’s system not only reduces his space but also his visuals. Additionally, he needs to be quick, as he is close to the offensive line, with the defenders having less ground to cover to sack him.

To get ready before September, the CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP has conducted late-night walkthroughs at the team hotel with fellow rookies during the last two nights before practice. According to multiple reports, Mendoza organized additional sessions with the offensive line in the hotel to work specifically on cadence, snap placement, timing, and exchange mechanics. He reportedly took anywhere from 25 to 50 snaps under center with each offensive lineman to help smooth the transition.

“I need more work under center,” Mendoza said. “And it’s great when we can be in the hotel getting 25 to 50 snaps each last night and the night before Day 1 to really get that timing. And I still have a long way to go.”

That willingness to put in extra work has already stood out inside the building. Several Raiders rookies have pointed to Mendoza’s urgency and obsessive attention to detail as one of the first things they noticed about him. The Raiders clearly knew this transition would not happen overnight, which is partly why the organization added veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Both general manager John Spytek and Kubiak have openly discussed the importance of patience with young quarterbacks, especially those learning how to command a huddle, operate under center, and manage NFL-level protections for the first time.

Mendoza is already taking the initiative to be ready for the NFL and HC Kubiak. Last season, the HC recorded the second-highest under-center snaps (52.6%) with the Seattle Seahawks. So the scheme is of utmost importance under Kubiak. While the quarterback is preparing himself, he has also caught the attention of other players on the Raiders team.

Trey Zuhn III sees a great leader in Fernando Mendoza

Similar to Fernando Mendoza, Trey Zuhn III was also picked by the Raiders in this draft, but in the third round. Coming from Texas A&M, the center was among the offensive linemen who took reps with the quarterback. Following those runs, he had words of praise for the QB, calling him a ‘great leader’ and stating more about playing under center.

“We didn’t do very much under center at [Texas] A&M, either, so it’s been great getting those extra reps. …We are getting ready to roll,” said Trey Zuhn III.

Mendoza is already spending time in the film room. He watches quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins, who played under Kubiak. From footwork to eyes, he is paying absolute attention to the key details. He has thanked the HC for making things a bit easier for him to understand.

“Having such a genius offensive mind running such a coherent and complementary system is a really good place, really good situation to be in as a quarterback,” Mendoza said.

He also won’t be attending the White House visit on May 11 to celebrate with the Indiana Hoosiers’ first national championship victory. While there is still much for him to learn, Mendoza is displaying a willingness to learn, which is something that will certainly help him go a long way in the league.