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After surprisingly going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, controversial former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is still getting his shot at the pros.
Pavia, 24, has accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Sunday, April 26. He will compete against UConn’s Joe Fagnano, another undrafted quarterback, for the team’s No. 3 developmental quarterback spot behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
Over the weekend, Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since former Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch in 2014.
While his age and height (5’10”) didn’t help his pro prospects, Pavia is also known for his questionable judgment off the field. After he finished as Heisman runner-up to Indiana quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in December 2025, he memorably posted a photo via Instagram with the caption, “F*** all the voters.”
He later apologized for the post and told reporters during the 2026 NFL Draft Combine that pro teams had not brought up the incident to him.
“Nope, they haven’t,” he said at the time. “I just think, not that they don’t care or whatever, but they kind of know the situation already.”
Pavia continued, “One thing about me is I don’t care what people think about me. God has a plan for me regardless. But the way the media is, they’re supposed to put out clickbait and things like that. That’s how people get views, and that’s how people make money. I understand that. And so people will twist a story and try to put out bad media to get clicks, good media to get clicks. That’s just today’s world that we live in. So I’m just adjusting to the new world.”
Pavia exploded onto the national scene during the 2025 season when he led the Vanderbilt Commodores to a 10-2 regular season, putting them in contention for the College Football Playoff.
When the team narrowly missed out, Pavia bypassed the NCAA and CFP selection committee, taking his frustrations all the way to the top.
“@realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE‼️👀,” he wrote via X, urging him to expand the playoff to 16 teams.
After the draft concluded, Pavia had his share of people by his side to encourage him. That included University of Colorado head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders.
“@diegopavia02 I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN!,” he wrote via X on Saturday, April 25. “Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget. Much Love & God bless you.”
