Indiana starting quarterback Fernando Mendo Mendoza faces his most difficult defense and tests of the season against Illinois, and he must make a statement.

You are locked on NFL draft, your daily podcast covering the NFL draft, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked-O NFL Draft Podcast, your daily podcast, covering your favorite draft projects, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm your boy, Damia Parson. I'm an NFL draft analyst with Bleach Report. That's my guy. Keith Sanchez, he's the director of scouting with the draft network and 2019 national champion with those LSU. Tigers. And as always, thank you for making a lotto NFL draft. You first listen today and everyday. Shout for being our everydayers. Offensive statement makers heading into week four of the college football season for the 2026 NFL draft, defensive statement makers and sleepers to watch.

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Keith, I spoiled the alert yesterday on yesterday show that my make a statement

player is none other than he's in the prime time slot too.

Played three Cupcake teams and I understood it from a scheduling standpoint for Indiana.

But when Illinois goes into

Indiana, there's one man and one man only that I'm going to have my eyes on and watching. And that is

Fernando Mendo Mendoza, my summertime QB1 and everything. Transfer from Cal has a prototypical size,

armed talent, functional straight line mobility,

accuracy, ball placement, what have you.

This is the big test.

You went from Cal, granted, he played really good teams of Cal.

I mean, some tough teams of Cal too.

He played Auburn, which they won last year, SEC defense, things of that nature.

Now you're in the Big Ten, and this is your first test because I believe they have Oregon.

They go to Oregon in a few weeks, and that might be a night game or, you know,

a evening time game, you know, kickoff for us on the East Coast.

For Nina Mendoza, this is a statement for him simply because at the end of the day,

...