Michael Penix Jr. and Fernando Mendoza were both overlooked coming out of respected Florida high schools. They were pro-style quarterbacks, making them less desirable to college offenses. And his story made him a player who Atlanta Falcons fans are still hoping can turn his career around.
But that didn't stop them from becoming two of the best passers college football has ever seen. Both led their respective schools to the National Championship, helping them become top-10 picks in their NFL Drafts, and hopefully franchise QBs for the Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders. And according to a story Mendoza told on a podcast, they briefly crossed paths with each other.
"A funny story I have about Michael (Penix Jr.), my freshman year, I obviously knew who he was," Mendoza said. "So after he torched us in the first game, I went up to him after and I was like 'Hey, what's up? My name's Fernando from Miami, just letting you know you're an inspiration to Florida quarterbacks. The next year, I go up to him, he's like, 'Oh, the kid from Miami, right'?... And seeing that game, seeing the level of mastery he had on the field, I was like, "Wow, I am really rooting for this guy whether he knows it or not."
Penix's Huskies faced off with Mendoza and Cal twice: for the first time when Mendoza redshirted his freshman season in 2022, and a year later when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023. And apparently, he made Mendoza's day when he remembered who he was despite meeting a year earlier.
Michael Penix Jr.'s humility is what will make him a future NFL star
Who knows, maybe that small moment offered the motivation that had something to do with his eventual rise to superstardom? The No. 1 overall pick also had some wonderful praise for the Falcons QB at the end of the clip; praise that fans often forget about with his job in the air entering 2026.
Go back and watch Penix Jr.'s final season with the Washington Huskies; he was in control of that offense and lit up every defense he went up against -- at least until he ran into Michigan's unstoppable defense. The lefty showed unmatched leadership, confidence, and execution.
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, saw it firsthand while he was on the sideline during Cal's third-string quarterback. As he says in the clip, Penix Jr. was an inspiration for countless quarterbacks coming out of Florida, himself included.
And that is something he didn't take for granted as he immediately recalled who Mendoza was, despite 99% of people having no idea who he was at the time. That sort of humility in a young quarterback is incredibly difficult to find, especially one who was making a Heisman Trophy bid.
Fast forward to the present day, and you have two quarterbacks who will likely start at some point during the 2026 season. Ironically, Mendoza will also enter his rookie season backing up Kirk Cousins with the Las Vegas Raiders -- something that won't last very long.
Another tie the rookie has to the Falcons is that he has been compared to Matt Ryan. He isn't the most athletic passer, but he is an elite processor and can make every throw. Penix Jr. and the Falcons won't see Mendoza and the Raiders until 2028.
Who knows if the Falcons will still have their first-round quarterback then; it will be his fifth-year option season. In a perfect world, the former Husky will have established himself as a clear-cut franchise quarterback by then, landing him a massive extension. He has all the talent you could ever want; it is just about unlocking it and keeping him healthy.
Hopefully, the same will be the case for the new Raiders quarterback, who like Penix, is also a highly respected person, which his exchange with Penix proved
Add us as a preferred source on Google