At the Senior Bowl this week, former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s height became a point of conversation. He measured in at 5-foot-9 and 7/8, creating some questions about success at the next level.
However, Pavia had a message to NFL teams about his height. He said whoever gets him will get someone who hasn’t had a losing season at any level.
Pavia started Saturday’s Senior Bowl after the week of practice. Throughout his final season at Vanderbilt, when he became the Heisman Trophy runner-up, his confidence shined through while spearheading the Commodores’ turnaround. The intangibles, he said, are part of what he brings to whichever team lands him next season.
“God blessed me with 5-9 and 7/8,” Pavia said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I want to show every team that whoever I’m blessed enough to go to, you’re going to get someone who’s a winner. I’ve been blessed enough to never have a losing season of football ever in my life, and I don’t plan on it ever happening.
“That’s what you’re going to get out of me. You’re going to get someone who’s great in the locker room, great with the teammates and who’s going to push the team and make sure that we are winning. I think that’s what the ultimate competitor does.”
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Pavia put together a standout season at Vanderbilt in 2025 as he secured a trip to New York. He not only threw for 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns, but added 826 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground as a true dual-threat. He was the only FBS player to record 4,000 total yards during the 2025 season.
For his efforts, Pavia won SEC Offensive Player of the Year while also finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. In addition, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award as the nation’s top quarterback. Those accolades were impressive at Vanderbilt, and he maintained confidence he would hear his name called in April’s NFL Draft.
“When has the last SEC player of the year not been drafted?” Pavia asked. “You know what I mean? I feel like you go watch, the tape number speaks for [itself]. Everything speaks for themselves. I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and I still believe that. That’s just the ultimate confidence that I’ve had.”
As the pre-draft process continue, Diego Pavia will look to continue boosting his stock. Heading into the Senior Bowl, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the No. 7 quarterback prospect in his Top 10 QB rankings.
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