Diego Pavia, one of the vital polarizing school soccer gamers in current reminiscence, was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The former JUCO, New Mexico State and Vanderbilt quarterback turned the primary Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch was not picked in the 2014 draft.
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Following the draft’s conclusion on Saturday, Pavia did not signal with an NFL staff as a free agent. He reportedly visited the Carolina Panthers earlier than the draft, however no different visits have been reported.
The final Heisman winner to go undrafted was Iowa QB Brad Banks in 2003. He signed with the Washington Commanders as a free agent, however did not win a roster spot.
Uncertainty over whether or not or not Pavia employed an agent after ending his school profession might have been an element in him not being invited for extra pre-draft visits. In an interview with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, Pavia mentioned he didn’t have illustration.
“I didn’t think it was fair that someone was going to represent me and take 5 to 10 percent,” Pavia advised Gruden. “Ain’t nobody taking my money.”
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However, Pavia might have been referring to having an agent to signify him in NIL negotiations throughout school. Agent Malki Kawa mentioned on social media that he was Pavia’s agent for his potential NFL profession.
Teams displaying curiosity in Pavia have not but been reported. The Panthers may presumably be on that record. Others who may take an opportunity on Pavia as a 3rd QB may embody the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was amongst these voicing help for Pavia following the NFL Draft’s conclusion.
“I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN!” Sanders wrote on X. “Stay strong and don’t let up.”
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Pavia’s popularity and outspokenness might have harm his draft inventory
Pavia, 24, turned the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy final 12 months at Vanderbilt, ending behind then-Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and in entrance of then-Notre Dame working again Jeremiyah Love, who have been the No. 1 and No. 3 general picks in this 12 months’s draft, respectively. But his response to falling in need of the game’s most prestigious award harmed his already controversial reputation.
Pavia, a brazen playmaker with an adoration for Johnny Manziel and a chip on his shoulder that dwarfs his 5-foot-10 body, reposted an Instagram publish from comic Theo Von to his Instagram story with the caption, “F- all the voters but … family for life.”
He later apologized and famous that Mendoza was “a deserving winner of the award.” Also in the apology assertion Pavia posted to social media, he talked about how he’s been doubted his complete life.
“Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me,” he wrote on the time.
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Pavia even needed to combat for an additional 12 months of eligibility to proceed the program turnaround he initiated at Vanderbilt. Ultimately, a federal decide in Tennessee granted an injunction that allowed Pavia to play a sixth season of school soccer after he sued the NCAA. Pavia claimed that the group violated antitrust regulation by counting his time in JUCO towards his NCAA eligibility clock, thereby affecting his capacity to earn cash from his identify, picture and likeness.
That ruling had a ripple effect on the college sports landscape, notably NCAA eligibility guidelines.
Pavia was an unheralded highschool recruit. He didn’t have an FBS supply popping out of Volcano Vista in New Mexico. He stayed in-state and spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at a junior school, New Mexico Military Institute.
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While there, he gained a NJCAA Division I nationwide championship and caught the attention of the New Mexico State workers, together with then-Aggies offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who wound up serving as Pavia’s OC at Vanderbilt.
In his second season at New Mexico State, Pavia led the Aggies to a 10-5 file — this system hadn’t loved a 10-win season since it went 11-0 in 1960 — and picked up Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Beck and Pavia made the transfer to Vanderbilt collectively, and so did Eli Stowers, who blossomed right into a dominant tight finish that the Philadelphia Eagles added to their receiving corps in the second round of this year’s draft.
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In his first season with the Commodores, Pavia remodeled right into a family identify. He turned heads on Oct. 5, 2024, when he totaled greater than 300 yards of offense and fueled a 40-35 win over then-No. 1 Alabama. In different phrases, he helped Vanderbilt beat the Crimson Tide for the primary time in 40 years and notch its first-ever win versus a top-five opponent.
That 12 months, the Commodores went 7-6, registering their first profitable season since 2013. For reference, Vanderbilt had gained a mixed 12 video games over the earlier 5 campaigns, from 2019-23.
Pavia was a standout for Vanderbilt in 2025
Pavia upped the ante in 2025. Despite a highlight that might have engulfed him, he thrived in the presence of additional consideration. This previous season, Pavia gained SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He ranked first amongst all qualifying SEC quarterbacks with a career-high 29 landing passes and a 70.6% completion proportion. He threw solely eight picks, and he ran his landing complete as much as 39 with 10 scores on the bottom.
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A bruising runner that makes up for his shorter stature with a stout construct and reckless abandon, Pavia piled up a minimum of 800 speeding yards in every of his last three school seasons.
Because of the way in which Vanderbilt’s schedule shook out, its slate wasn’t strong enough to reward the Commodores’ first-ever 10-win season with a College Football Playoff appearance. Still, Pavia’s affect on a program that had been the laughing inventory of the SEC is plain.
Pavia lacks the prototypical dimension of an NFL quarterback. His top is akin to that of Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, besides he’s nowhere close to the quick-twitch athlete and polished passer these two have been popping out of Oklahoma and Alabama.
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Pavia’s school tape was popcorn-worthy: breathtaking at instances, eyebrow elevating at others however at all times entertaining. He’s a gamer who’s unabashedly himself. If he’s to make the 53-man roster, he’ll probably have to just accept a job away from the limelight whereas competing for an elevated standing in the quarterback room extra quietly than he’s used to.