Diego Pavia, who previously played as a quarterback for the Vanderbilt Commodores, was expected to be a top selection in this year’s NFL draft. Unfortunately, things did not unfold as anticipated.
After three days of waiting in Pittsburgh, Pavia went undrafted. He is the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since 2014. The last occurrence was when Jordan Lynch, a 2013 Heisman finalist, joined the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
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Following the draft disappointment, Deion Sanders, the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, offered Pavia words of encouragement on social media.
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@diegopavia02 “I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN! Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time itt is and never allow them to forget. Much Love & God bless you,” Coach Prime tweeted.
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Pavia began his college career at the JUCO level with New Mexico Military Institute in 2020, spending two years there before transferring to New Mexico State in 2022. During his two seasons there, he amassed 4,423 yards and 39 touchdowns in passing.
In 2024, Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt, where he led the team to a 7-6 (3-5 SEC) record as the quarterback. The following season, he improved his performance, achieving 3,539 yards and 39 touchdowns passing, culminating in a 10-3 record and a loss to Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Besides being a Heisman finalist, Pavia also received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was named a first-team All-American.
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Ex-NFL tackle shares his thoughts after Diego Pavia went undrafted
Former NFL tackle Breiden Fehoko considers Diego Pavia the third-best quarterback prospect after Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck.
He mentioned that Pavia had better production than Ty Simpson, who was drafted 13th overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
“Let’s get to the truth,” Fehoko said in a video on Saturday. “The truth is Diego Pavia was a better quarterback then every quarterback in college football that wasn’t named Fernando Mendoza or Carson Beck. And I know that hurts.
“Watching Ty Simpson underproduce with some of the best athletes in the world, I don’t know how you guys can watch that and sit here and be satisfied with it. … If you watched Pavia this year, the kid was unreal. He had multiple Heisman moments.
“It just so happens that he’s 5’9″ and a minority. If he was 6 foot and his name was Jeffrey, he’d be in the first round. But, life happens, and he’s gonna have to fight an uphill battle.”
Will Pavia find a team as an undrafted free agent in the coming days?
Edited by Priyam Hazarika
