Fernando Mendoza’s historic season with Indiana turned him into one of the biggest stars in college football. While the spotlight remains heavily centered on his NFL future, a much different and equally compelling story unfolds from the Mendoza family. This time from Fernando’s 14-year-old brother, Max, who’s earning much support from the Hoosiers for his new efforts.
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Max Mendoza, who’s chosen to chase a microphone instead of a touchdown, has recently launched his own sportscasting venture, ‘The Max Mendoza Show,’ on Instagram. The 14-year-old made his intentions clear that he wanted to be an entertainer like Jimmy Fallon.
“I like entertainment like Jimmy Fallon and morning shows,” Max said this December per Kelsey Nicole Nelson’s report.
The Max Mendoza Show is his first step toward his goal, and in support of his efforts, the Hoosiers are rooting for Max to become the greatest broadcaster ever.
The Heisman-winning older brother, Fernando, was the first to acknowledge Max’s new effort, writing, “Yes, sir.” On the other hand, his other brother, Alberto, gave him the props, crediting him as the greatest Mendoza of all time, writing, “Max IS The GOAT 🔥🔥.”
The encouragement didn’t stop there. Several Indiana teammates and staff members also flooded Max’s comment section with praise. The Hoosiers’ sophomore DL Mario Landino reacted to Max’s Winter Olympics update with two fire emojis, “🔥🔥.”
The Hoosiers’ sophomore placekicker Quinn Warren reacted to Max’s post with a curling GIF. He has been supporting him since the venture launch. On the launch of ‘The Max Mendoza Show’ logo, Warren wrote a wholesome comment, “This made my day,” considering it his personal success.
#IUFB players in the comment section hyping up The Max Mendoza Show instagram account. There will never be another team like this one. Such a special group. Best team in the country on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/qJ2jU4KZEb
— INDIANA PSYCHO (@INDIANA_PSYCHO) February 16, 2026
For a 14-year-old just stepping into the spotlight, that kind of backing carries real value. It reflects not only the strong bond within the Mendoza family but also the supportive culture within the Hoosiers program, making it one of the special groups in college football.
Max has now posted over 10 times on Instagram and earned over 8,000 followers in this short period.
Max Mendoza in the media spotlight
The budding sportscaster recently had one of the biggest opportunities in national media when he got a chance to co-host The Today Show on NBC briefly. While Fernando Mendoza appeared on the program to interview for the NFL Draft after Indiana’s national championship win, the crew asked him about his brother’s interest in pursuing a career in media instead of football, and the Heisman winner confirmed his interest.
Following that, Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, shared a video clip with Max taking part in anchoring with Sheinelle Jones. “The 14-year-old brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza helps co-host the Today Show after they found out he wanted to work in television.”
He co-hosted the show, where he began reading from the teleprompter with confidence, “Coming up, a new Music Friday features Harry Styles’ long-awaited return. We will check it out. His interesting new sound and chat it up with Steve Kornacki.”
Max showcased first impressions at their finest with his young voice, surprising many people and going viral on the internet at the time.