Heisman finalist and Vanderbilt football star Diego Pavia will get a chance to shine at the Panini Senior Bowl later this month.
Pavia was named as one of six quarterbacks overall and will suit up for the National Team, bowl officials announced Jan. 14. Other QBs on the National Team are North Dakota State’s Cole Payton and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson.
Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Taylen Green (Arkansas) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) were named American Team quarterbacks.
The Senior Bowl is the first marquee event in the NFL Draft process, specifically for seniors, and serves as the top college football all-star game. The game is will be played on Jan. 31 in Mobile, Alabama.
Pavia is considered a late-round NFL Draft pick, which would put him somewhere around the Round 5-7 range.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Pavia as the ninth-best quarterback available in the draft, directly above Green and Robertson.
Vanderbilt listed Pavia at 6-foot, 207 pounds this season.
Pavia was 267-of-378 passing for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025, leading Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season (10-3). He also rushed for 862 yards and 10 TDs on 167 attempts.
Pavia became Vanderbilt’s first Heisman finalist and finished second in the voting with 1,435 points, behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (2,362).
Some believe Pavia must work to increase his NFL Draft value due to his size and perceived character issues after his post-Heisman comments.
Following the Dec. 13 ceremony in New York City, Pavia took to social media: “F-all the voters … Family for life,” he posted on his Instagram story, with a photo of him and some of his offensive lineman at the ceremony.
“I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to,” Pavia later wrote on his X account. “I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.”
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform,@tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg.Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
