Diego Pavia was a Heisman finalist but that didn’t mean pro teams looked at him as a draftable prospect. In fact, he wasn’t picked at all in the 2026 NFL Draft. Earlier this month, he said he represented himself with NIL. Now, he has a pro agent, and it still hasn’t worked out to get an undrafted free agent signing.
The reason for not getting an agent was simple for Pavia. “Ain’t nobody taking my money.” However, he has an NFL agent now, but the fact that even with an agent he hasn’t been signed to any team whatsoever is a concerning fact.
This leaves him basically with just one option. He must get invited to participate in a rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Pavia went from a superstar in College Football to a guy who didn’t even get an opportunity post NFL Draft.
Why is Pavia such a controversial prospect?
A combination physical limitations, a bit of an egotistical personality, and immature off-field antics will erase whatever good he did at Vanderbilt. Pavia has a ‘classless‘ reputation thanks to his expletive-filled messages when he lost the Heisman voting to Fernando Mendoza. He also had an episode of urinating a rival’s field.
Tyrann Mathieu called it on Diego Pavia …
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) April 25, 2026
'He’s just a little bit sidetracked. He’s been on too many podcasts for me … too many UFC fights, too many drunk photos. That’s not what people want to see at the next level.'pic.twitter.com/am7BkBxSJ3
His shenanigans weigh more than his 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2025 for Vanderbilt, which are both school records. Former NFL players like Tyrann Mathieu and Robert Griffin III both criticized him ahead of the draft because of this, imploring him not to make mistakes and hurt his stock even further.
Pavia does have some strengths that could earn him a chance in the NFL
Pavia has good playmaking ability and mobility for a quarterback, though it’s an area he developed due to his small size. By being a bit of a ‘me-first‘ player, he does have a very competitive mentality. He is not afraid of any moment.
Pavia is a very accurate passer, having 70.6% completion during his 2025 season. Whether his new agent can sell these pointers and gets him a chance remains to be seen. At least there is some upside.
