Diego Pavia’s post-college football career has not exactly gone according to plan.
Pavia had a stellar final season at Vanderbilt, where he led the Commodores to a 10-3 record. He did enough to convince Heisman Trophy voters to have him finish as the runner-up for the award behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
However, Pavia’s banner year wasn’t enough to sway any of the 32 NFL teams to draft him. Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted in over a decade.
Diego Pavia becomes the first Heisman finalist since 2014 to go undrafted pic.twitter.com/e4h9v3AZee
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 25, 2026
Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch was the last Heisman finalist not to hear his name called during the NFL draft. Lynch finished third in voting during the 2013 season behind AJ McCarron and winner Jameis Winston.
Lynch later signed with the Chicago Bears as a running back but was released before ever taking the field. He later played in the CFL and is now a successful high school football coach.
Pavia is hoping to avoid the same fate. But the odds are stacked against him finding success at the pro level. Aside from his physical limitations as a 5’10” quarterback, Pavia also comes with a handful of questions on his maturity and off-field character.
