Texas Longhorns Backup QB Made It To NFL Before Diego Pavia – Sports Illustrated

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The Texas Longhorns didn't quite have the production in the 2026 NFL Draft that the program experienced the past three years. The Longhorns had six players get selected and didn't produce a first-round pick for the first time since 2022.
But Texas' players still a better turnout during the draft than Vanderbilt star quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia did. One of the more popular names among fans entering the draft, Pavia still went undrafted. It wasn't until nearly 24 hours after the draft ended that multiple reports revealed Pavia had accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
Even Texas backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell got the call before Pavia. Though he also went undrafted, Caldwell still managed to land an UDFA deal with an NFL team right after the draft ended. College football fans certainly didn't have that on their bingo card.
Caldwell landed an undrafted deal with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday right after the draft ended. He will now look to land a spot on the 53-man roster in a quarterback room that already features Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett and No. 13 overall pick Ty Simpson. It's likely though that Caldwell will have to settle for a practice squad spot and could get some important reps during rookie minicamp and preseason.
Caldwell got a chance to throw during Texas' Pro Day and looked impressive while doing so. With all 32 NFL teams in attendance, the opportunity allowed him to show off in front of multiple scouts and coaches, helping him secure an UDFA deal as a result.
In his only season at Texas, Caldwell appeared in just five games while completing 8 of 11 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown along with two carries for 64 yards. The fact that those numbers represented Caldwell's 2025 season stats and he still got a deal before Pavia is pretty unbelievable.
Caldwell nearly faced off against Pavia and Vanderbilt this past season. After Arch Manning suffered a concussion late in the overtime win against Mississippi State, Caldwell stepped in and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass.
He was expected to step in as the starter against No. 9 Vanderbilt one week later but Manning cleared concussion protocol quicker than expected.
The Longhorns faced Pavia twice over the past two seasons, picking up close wins over the Commodores in both games. This featured some heated moments.
In Texas' win over Vanderbilt this past season, Pavia got into a scuffle in the end zone after throwing the ball at Longhorns safety Xavier Filsaime. A video of Pavia's brother also went viral on social media after he was seen arguing with Texas fans in the stands at DKR.
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Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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