Once upon a time, Diego Pavia was making the Auburn Tigers' lives hell for three straight seasons, handing Hugh Freeze losses as the QB1 for the New Mexico State Aggies and Vanderbilt Commodores in 2023 and 2024, and then giving DJ Durkin his first loss as AU's interim head coach in a 45-38 OT thriller in Nashville this past November.
Now, though, Pavia is the one experiencing Murphy's Law after being snubbed from all seven rounds of the 2026 NFL draft.
Pavia went undrafted and wasn't even signed as an undrafted free agent, instead accepting an invite to the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp next week. It's been a meteoric fall from grace after ending up as a Heisman finalist in 2025 and leading Vanderbilt to the CFP bubble.
CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah doesn't believe his legacy deserves to be tarnished, though, after not employing an agent to represent him and because of a mildly checkered collegiate career off the field.
"Now, let's be clear, Pavia did himself no favors during the process. After losing the Heisman Trophy to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, he made multiple expletive-laden public statements, including one targeting Heisman voters for disrespecting him," Jeyarajah prefaced before saying, "He was also pictured at a nightclub getting bottle service with a sign that said 'F--- Indiana,' a shot at Mendoza. And while it's flown under the radar, Pavia's behavior has been immature for years. While at New Mexico State, Pavia famously trespassed at rival New Mexico's practice field and urinated on it.Â
"These missteps are absolutely childish. If he boasted more pro-ready measurables, they would have likely hurt his draft stock. As is, they might be impacting potential undrafted opportunities and minicamp invites. At the same time, they're leading to revisionism. ... Pavia made some silly mistakes that deservedly hurt his public reputation. At the same time, we don't have to turn this into something it's not. ... Over his standout career, Pavia has not been a problem inside his football buildings. He's established himself as one of the hardest workers everywhere he's played. Tight end Eli Stowers roomed with Pavia at Vanderbilt after transferring with him from New Mexico State."
Diego Pavia is the 2020s football version of Marshall Henderson
Marshall Henderson was a legendary player on the hardwood for the Ole Miss Rebels during the mid-2010s who, like Pavia, played at two Division I schools with a JUCO stop, made a name for himself through smack talk and over-the-top theatrics. Henderson now represents the University of Mississippi as a graduate manager.
Pavia, whether he plays in the NFL, UFL, CFL, or never suits up again, should have similar offers available indefinitely for Clark Lea's Commodores or in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Especially at Vanderbilt, Pavia's collegiate legacy is secure and will always be fondly remembered. That should keep him employed, even if the NFL doesn't.
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