Former Vanderbilt football quarterback Diego Pavia will attend rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens, according to a report April 26 by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pavia was the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. One of the most prolific college quarterbacks of the past two years, he led the Commodores to a 10-3 record in 2025 and bowl appearances in 2024 and 2025.
Though he was electric on the field in college, he was not considered a top NFL prospect due to a lack of size (5-foot-10) and his age (24), and his skill set is seemingly better tailored for a college system than the NFL. He is the first Heisman Trophy finalist to not get drafted since 2014.
Pavia is known for his electric two-way production on the field and his fiery personality, combined with some questionable off-field judgment. His antics frequently got him in the news for the wrong reasons. But he also was credited with helping engineer a culture shift at Vanderbilt, helping the Commodores believe they could achieve anything, even a national championship.
He led them to their first 10-win season in program history, and was their first-ever Heisman finalist, often willing the team to wins by himself.
Although his personality can be polarizing, a team that wants a bulldog personality at quarterback likely would find Pavia appealing.
Pavia has an accurate arm and is good at reading defenses, especially in RPO-based systems. His best quality, however, is his ability to avoid sacks. There have been times where he has had multiple defenders trying to tackle him, and he still managed to spin out of it and make a play.
There are some concerns that the skills that made him great in college won’t translate as well to the NFL. He makes his best plays outside the pocket and on the run, and he’s undersized. But it’s also hard to bet against him, given what he has accomplished in his college career with multiple teams.
Pavia started all 26 games for Vanderbilt in 2024 and 2025. His 2025 season was his most productive, when he went 267-for-378 passing for 3,539 yards, 29 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran 167 times for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He set a school record with 484 passing yards in a win over Kentucky in November 2025.
Diego Pavia measured 5-foot-10⅛ at the NFL combine.
Diego Pavia is 209 pounds.
Diego Pavia did not do athletic testing at the NFL draft combine.
At Vanderbilt’s pro day, he ran a 4.76 40-yard dash and did not participate in either the broad or vertical jump.
Diego Pavia spent two years at New Mexico Military Institute, two years at New Mexico State and two years at Vanderbilt.
Diego Pavia attended Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
