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By Megan Armstrong
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Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia made unfortunate NFL history when he became the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since 2014. Pavia finished as runner-up — a distant runner-up — to former Indiana quarterback and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, who went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in April's 2026 NFL Draft.
After the draft, Pavia accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp. His workout went viral because he was at chest level with the center's bum while taking a snap — highlighting his 5-foot-10 1/8″ frame.
That will be all we see of Pavia in a Ravens uniform, as the NFL announced Thursday that Baltimore has waived Pavia.
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As of this writing, Pavia has not publicly commented on the move.
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Pavia was a dynamic college quarterback at New Mexico State and Vanderbilt, but there were concerns about his viability in the NFL because of his size and his polarizing personality.
Pavia did not handle losing to Mendoza well, writing "F-All THE VOTERS" after the Heisman Trophy ceremony. He later posted a lengthy apology, but he again raised eyebrows when he told Jon Gruden that he did not want an agent.
Tom Pelissero reported during the 2026 NFL Draft that Pavia had made it clear to coaches and executives that he viewed himself as a starter and had no interest in coming in as a backup quarterback. That could have put off teams with interest in taking a flier on Pavia.
Pavia was the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year with 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns on 70.6 completion percentage as a passer. He also ran for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Pavia under center, Vanderbilt went 10-3 before losing to Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
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