Fernando Mendoza has no problem tackling his latest career move.

In fact, the former Indiana University Bloomington quarterback—who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft—is well aware a change of location may come with an interception or two.

“It’s a big transition,” he told E! News in an exclusive interview at the Time 100 Sports Gala July 16. “College in the Midwest to Las Vegas...there’s going to be a lot of changes and there’s going to be some hiccups along the way. But I’m ready for it and excited to hopefully succeed in the future.”

And as for how the 22-year-old—who took home a trophy at the 2026 ESPYs for Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports—is physically preparing, it’s all about huddling up with the perfect teammates.

“There are a lot of workouts,” he noted. “I’ve really spending a lot of time with Alex Guerrero, who is the head of performance at Las Vegas Raiders and he’s been doing a fantastic job. We’ve been working along with our strength coach, coach A.J. [Neibel] and our amazing training staff that we have there.”

 “I’m excited, my body is in peak shape,” Mendoza explained, “and I’m excited for my rookie season.”

Along the way, Mendoza noted he’s also been receiving “great” advice from fellow players, but he’s remained focused on his voice within.

“Keeping yourself genuine,” he explained of what he’s remembered most. “All the wisdom, although it might be helpful, it might not all apply to you so make sure that you get that wisdom, but at the same time, apply it to your process and see what works for you.”

And for Mendoza, what works best for him is staying close to his squad, as he highlighted in his ESPYs acceptance speech.

"Football is a team sport and although this award has one name on it, it belongs to so many people," he shared while onstage during the ceremony. "I want to give a huge thanks to my family, my coaches, my beloved Hoosier nation and most importantly, out of all of them, my beloved teammates. Love you guys, appreciate everything you guys [have] done for me.”