Diego Pavia is an American football quarterback whose journey from junior college to the brink of the NFL has been one of the most unlikely and closely followed stories in recent college football. A dual-threat playmaker who transformed Vanderbilt into a genuine force in the Southeastern Conference, he finished as runner-up for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, only to go entirely undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, but was waived by the club in July 2026, leaving him a free agent seeking his next opportunity.
Diego Pavia Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Diego Pavia |
| Date of Birth | 16 February 2002 |
| Age (2026) | 24 years |
| Birthplace | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Hometown | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Not publicly documented |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) |
| Weight | Around 207 pounds (94 kg) |
| Profession | Professional football quarterback |
| Position | Quarterback |
| Known For | His 2025 Heisman runner-up season at Vanderbilt and going undrafted |
| High School | Volcano Vista, Albuquerque |
| Colleges | New Mexico Military Institute; New Mexico State; Vanderbilt |
| NFL Draft | Undrafted, 2026 |
| Former NFL Team | Baltimore Ravens (signed April 2026, waived July 2026) |
| Jersey Number | 17 (with the Ravens) |
| Current Status | Free agent |
| Major Award | Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2025) |
| Net Worth (estimated) | Not reliably documented |
Diego Pavia Awards and Honours
| Year | Honour |
| 2021 | NJCAA Division I national champion |
| 2023 | Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year; Second-team All-CUSA |
| 2024 | SEC Newcomer of the Year; Second-team All-SEC |
| 2025 | Heisman Trophy runner-up |
| 2025 | Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award |
| 2025 | Sporting News College Football Player of the Year |
| 2025 | SEC Offensive Player of the Year; First-team All-American; First-team All-SEC |
Diego Pavia Events
| Year | Event |
| 16 February 2002 | Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 2020 to 2021 | Played at the New Mexico Military Institute, winning a junior-college national title |
| 2022 to 2023 | Transferred to New Mexico State, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year |
| 2024 | Moved to Vanderbilt and helped engineer a landmark upset of Alabama |
| 2025 | Produced a record-setting season, leading Vanderbilt to ten wins and finishing runner-up for the Heisman |
| April 2026 | Went undrafted, then signed a three-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens |
| July 2026 | Was waived by the Ravens ahead of training camp |
Diego Pavia Early Life and Background
Diego Pavia was born on 16 February 2002 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and attended Volcano Vista High School in the city. He was not a highly rated recruit coming out of school, and his route into major college football ran the long way round, a fact that would come to define both his career and his public persona as a player who thrived on being underestimated.
Diego Pavia College Career
Diego Pavia at Junior College
Diego Pavia began his college career at the New Mexico Military Institute, a junior-college programme, where he won an NJCAA Division I national championship in 2021. That title run put him on the radar of larger programmes and set up his move to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Diego Pavia at New Mexico State
He transferred to New Mexico State for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, where his dual-threat ability made him one of the most productive quarterbacks outside the power conferences. He was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, earning the attention of the SEC.
Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt
The defining chapter came at Vanderbilt. In his first season with the Commodores in 2024, Diego Pavia was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and led the team to a stunning upset of Alabama, one of the most celebrated results in the programme’s history. He returned for 2025 and delivered a season that reshaped the school’s record books, throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns, both single-season school records, with just eight interceptions and a completion rate above seventy per cent, while adding 862 rushing yards and ten more scores on the ground. His 338.5 yards of total offense per game ranked second nationally, and he carried Vanderbilt to a ten-win season, the first in the school’s history, along with its first victory over a top-five opponent.
Across four seasons of college football, he threw for 10,255 yards, rushed for 3,094 and accounted for 119 touchdowns.
Diego Pavia and the Eligibility Case
Diego Pavia also became a nationally discussed figure off the field, having successfully challenged the way the NCAA counted his junior-college seasons against his eligibility. The ruling in his favour allowed him to play an additional season and prompted wider changes affecting other junior-college transfers, making his name a reference point in debates about college athlete eligibility rules.
Diego Pavia Professional Career
Diego Pavia and the 2026 NFL Draft
Despite finishing second in the Heisman voting, Diego Pavia was not selected in any of the seven rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, an outcome that generated considerable debate. He became the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since 2014 and the first runner-up to be passed over since 2003. Evaluators consistently pointed to his height, listed at 5 feet 10 inches, and questions about his deep accuracy and arm strength, though supporters argued his production and competitiveness had been undervalued. Adding to the scrutiny, he had drawn attention for comments about handling his own representation during the pre-draft process, a point later clarified by an agent who said he did have representation for his NFL pursuits.
Diego Pavia with the Baltimore Ravens
Shortly after the draft, Diego Pavia signed a three-year undrafted free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens, who moved to sign him before a scheduled rookie-minicamp tryout rather than risk losing him, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League also holding his rights on their negotiation list. He joined a quarterback room headed by the two-time Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, and his mobile style was seen as a natural fit for Baltimore’s offensive scheme. He wore the number 17 and was competing for a third-string role or a practice-squad place.
Diego Pavia’s Release
That opportunity proved short-lived. In July 2026, ahead of the start of training camp, the Ravens waived Diego Pavia, ending his brief spell with the club and making him a free agent able to sign elsewhere before camps began. Given his college profile and the interest previously shown by teams in other leagues, he was expected to draw attention from other clubs.
Diego Pavia Playing Style
Diego Pavia is a classic dual-threat quarterback, celebrated for his improvisation, his ability to escape pressure and extend plays, and a competitive streak that made him a favourite of college crowds. His strengths lie in creating something from broken plays, both with his legs and by throwing on the move, while the reservations that dogged his draft stock concerned his stature and his consistency on deep throws. He has spoken openly about having been doubted over his size throughout his career, framing himself simply as a winner.
Diego Pavia Personal Life
Diego Pavia has kept his personal life largely out of the spotlight, with public attention focused on his football journey rather than his private affairs. He has remained closely identified with his home city of Albuquerque and with the underdog narrative that has followed him from junior college to the professional ranks.
Diego Pavia Height and Physical Profile
Diego Pavia is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and around 207 pounds. His height became the single most discussed aspect of his professional prospects, as it falls below what NFL teams have traditionally sought in a quarterback, though some pre-draft profiles listed him marginally taller.
Diego Pavia Net Worth and Earnings
A reliable figure for Diego Pavia’s net worth is not part of the public record, and this profile does not offer an estimate. His earnings to date have come from name, image and likeness arrangements during his college career and from his short-lived undrafted rookie contract, which for players in his position typically carries modest guaranteed money.
| Source | Detail |
| Net worth | Not reliably documented |
| Main income sources | College name, image and likeness deals; a rookie free-agent contract |
Diego Pavia Social Media
Diego Pavia built a considerable following during his college career, particularly around his Vanderbilt run and the draft controversy.
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| Present under his name | Used for football and personal updates | |
| Twitter/X | Present | Active during his college and draft period |
Diego Pavia Controversies
Diego Pavia and the Draft Fallout
The main controversy surrounding Diego Pavia has been the debate over his going undrafted despite a Heisman runner-up season, which drew strong reactions from fans and analysts. Part of that discussion centred on a widely circulated interview in which he spoke about not wanting to give up a percentage of his earnings to representation, remarks that resurfaced after the draft and fuelled speculation about whether his pre-draft process had hurt him. An agent subsequently clarified the position, saying he had been represented for his NFL efforts. This profile records the debate factually without endorsing any explanation for the outcome.
Beyond that, no significant personal controversy involving him surfaced in the material examined for this profile.
Lesser Known Facts About Diego Pavia
- He won a junior-college national championship before ever playing at the top level of college football.
- He was named the best player in his conference at both New Mexico State and, later, in the SEC.
- He led Vanderbilt to the first ten-win season in the programme’s history.
- He set Vanderbilt single-season records for both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
- His successful challenge over eligibility rules had implications for other junior-college transfers.
- He became the first Heisman runner-up to go undrafted since 2003.
- His rights were held by a Canadian Football League club even as he signed in the NFL.
Diego Pavia FAQ
Who is Diego Pavia?
He is an American quarterback, formerly of Vanderbilt, who finished runner-up for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, went undrafted in 2026, and briefly signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
How old is Diego Pavia?
Born on 16 February 2002, he is 24 years old in 2026.
Is Diego Pavia still with the Baltimore Ravens?
No; the Ravens waived him in July 2026, ahead of training camp, making him a free agent.
Why did Diego Pavia go undrafted?
Evaluators cited his height, listed at 5 feet 10 inches, and questions over his deep accuracy and arm strength, despite his strong college production.
What did Diego Pavia achieve at Vanderbilt?
He led the Commodores to their first ten-win season, set school records for passing yards and touchdowns, and won SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
How tall is Diego Pavia?
He is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and around 207 pounds.
Which colleges did Diego Pavia play for?
He played at the New Mexico Military Institute, New Mexico State and Vanderbilt.
Did Diego Pavia win the Heisman Trophy?
No; he finished as the runner-up in the 2025 voting.
What awards has Diego Pavia won?
His honours include the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American recognition in 2025.
Where is Diego Pavia from?
He is from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sources
Yahoo Sports, Ravens waive former Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia,
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ravens-waiving-former-vanderbilt-qb-201252281.html
NFL.com, Report: Ravens signing undrafted Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to three-year deal,
https://www.nfl.com/news/report-ravens-signing-undrafted-vanderbilt-qb-diego-pavia-to-three-year-deal
CBS Sports, Diego Pavia to Ravens: Heisman finalist signing deal ahead of rookie camp,
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/diego-pavia-ravens-signing-contract-rookie-minicamp/
Bleacher Report, Diego Pavia Waived by Ravens,
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25430060-diego-pavia-waived-ravens-top-potential-landing-spots-former-cfb-star
Baltimore Ravens, Reports: Diego Pavia Signing With Ravens,
https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/diego-pavia-ravens-rookie-minicamp-invitation