Heisman Trophy

Diego Pavia is one of the more interesting football players to emerge in recent years, as he has a polarizing, athletic, and brash playing style that helped him become a Heisman Trophy finalist in the 2025 season. Pavia has a “warrior’s mentality” from his upbringing to his dominance in college football, making him one of the most exciting athletes to emerge this generation. Pavia may have gone undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but his football career is far from over, as he’ll do whatever it takes to earn a spot on a roster, whether it’s with the Baltimore Ravens, who recently signed him, or another team that wants to take a chance on him.  Love him or hate him, Diego Pavia is here to stay, and here at TPS, we’re going to tell you some interesting facts about him you probably don’t know.  So sit back and relax, because here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Diego Pavia. What are the top ten most intriguing facts about Diego Favia? Pavia was born and raised in New MexicoSep 1, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New Mexico State Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia (10) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Pavia was born and raised in New Mexico, aka “the Land of Enchantment,” and grew up in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city.  Pavia grew up with just his mother raising him and his two other brothers and one sister, and he described his life as if it were a real-life “Grand Theft Auto,” as Albuquerque’s South Valley can be a dangerous neighborhood.  Diego Pavia credits his mom, Antoniette Padilla, for instilling in him a “winner” mentality, as she’s a nurse who also worked multiple jobs. When Pavia was six, his mom lied about his age so he could play in a seven-year-old football league at the time.  Pavia was a three-sport athlete during his time at Volcano Vista High School, playing football, wrestling, and baseball.  Pavia’s family supported him and traveled to his games, and he expressed their sacrifices that allowed him to succeed in athletics.  Pavia Was a State Wrestling ChampionVanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia warms up during football pro day at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 20, 2026. As we mentioned earlier, Diego Pavia played in three sports for Volcano Vista High School: football, baseball, and wrestling. Even though Pavia chose the football route after high school, his wrestling background is part of the reason why he’s been incredible on the field.  Pavia made the New Mexico State Finals three times as a wrestler and won one of those final appearances in 2020 in the 195-lb class.  Pavia had a partial scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but he ultimately chose to pursue football rather than take his talents on the wrestling mat.   He spoke about the potential of wrestling at Nebraska to the Albuquerque Journal, saying, “That wasn’t where my heart was. I feel like if I had wrestled, then I would have fallen out of love with the sport.” So far, the football path has been a wild ride for Pavia, and the rest has been history.  No Division I offers while still in High SchoolVanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia throws the ball during football pro day at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 20, 2026. During his time in high school, Diego Pavia didn’t receive any Division One offers from larger schools at the time due to scouts being concerned about his physical dimensions and his origin in a lower recruiting region. Pavia led his high school to an undefeated regular season with an 11-0 record during his senior year. Recruiters were scared of his traditional talents, his size, as he was measured at 5’10” and 172 pounds. Pavia received scholarship offers from two Division II schools: the Western Colorado Mountaineers and the Western New Mexico Mustangs. On top of that, the state of New Mexico receives less attention than other states when it comes to recruiting football players to play college football. Began his collegiate career at the New Mexico Military InstituteDiego Pavia speaks to media outlets during New Mexico State football media day on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Nmsu Football Media Day Instead of accepting offers to play college football from Western Colorado and Western New Mexico, Pavia began his college football career at the New Mexico Military Institute, a public military junior college in Roswell, New Mexico. Students attending the New Mexico Military Institute wake up early, lining up for room inspections and marching to breakfast in full uniform. Pavia thrived on the field for the New Mexico Military Institute Broncos, as he completed 68 passes for 916 yards and threw 10 touchdowns against three interceptions in his first year. Pavia’s second year was truly spectacular, as he completed 121 passes for 1,728 yards and threw 21 touchdowns against one interception. Oh, and Pavia led the Broncos to the NJCAA National Football Championship against Iowa Western, winning 31-13. He threw two touchdown passes and scored a rushing touchdown during the game. New Mexico State’s head coach, Jerry Kill, and offensive coordinator Tim Beck watched the game from a Hooters, with the intention of offering Iowa Western’s Nate Glantz a scholarship, but immediately changed their minds when they saw Pavia’s performance in the game. After that performance, Pavia took his talents to Las Cruces and began playing for the New Mexico State Aggies for the 2022 season. Established Himself as a Starter at New Mexico StateNov 18, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; New Mexico State Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia (10) takes a selfie with fans after defeating the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Diego Pavia’s time at New Mexico State wasn’t easy, as he struggled in his early days with the Aggies. He was also in and out of the lineup with other quarterbacks, including Gavin Frakes. In his first game with the Aggies, Pavia threw three interceptions in a 23-12 loss against the Nevada Wolf Pack and was benched. Pavia also had a chance to tie the team’s week three matchup against the University of Texas-El Paso Roadrunners, but was strip-sacked with three seconds left in the game.  However, by the time the Aggies squared off against Liberty, Pavia was able to turn his bad luck around and completed 16 passes for 214 yards, threw three touchdowns against no interceptions, rushed for 125 yards on 20 carries, and scored three rushing touchdowns, helping the Aggies earn a 49-14 win over the Liberty Flames. Oh, and the Aggies were 24.5-point underdogs in the game. The Aggies finished the year with a 7-6 record and went on to win the Quick Lane Bowl 24-19 against Bowling Green. Pavia threw two touchdowns and an interception in the victory. Pavia pressed the gas pedal further in the 2023 season, as he completed 221 passes for 2,973 yards, threw 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions, and led the Aggies to their first 10-win season since 1960.  The game in which Pavia shone the most that year was the Aggies’ clash against the Auburn Tigers on the road, where they won 31-10, and he threw three touchdowns in the victory.  However, Pavia’s success saw some controversy, as a video surfaced of him taking a leak on the New Mexico Lobos’ logo after defeating them 27-17. Pavia was never publicly punished for his actions.  Became an Instant Legend at VanderbiltAug 31, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates the win against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports Diego Pavia entered the transfer portal originally about to play for the Nevada Wolf Pack. However, New Mexico State’s offensive coordinator, Jerry Kill, was hired to be Vanderbilt’s offensive coordinator, called him a few minutes later, expecting him to be in Nashville for the 2024 season. Pavia immediately flipped his commitment from Nevada to Vanderbilt.  Pavia won the starting quarterback job over guys like Drew Dickley and Nate Johnson for the 2024 season. The Vanderbilt Commodores weren’t really known as an SEC powerhouse before Pavia’s arrival, since they were essentially a doormat for other SEC teams to bully. Once Pavia started his first game, things immediately changed for the Commodores, opening up the season with two nice wins against Virginia Tech and Alcorn State. However, the most impressive game Pavia played in the 2024 season was the Alabama game, as he led the Commodores to a 40-35 upset win over the one-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide. Pavia completed 16 passes for 252 yards, threw two touchdowns against no interceptions, and rushed for 56 yards on 20 carries in the upset victory. Pavia led the Commodores to a 7-6 record and helped them win the Birmingham Bowl 35-27 against Georgia Tech. The 2025 season saw the Commodores earn a 10-3 record, as Pavia led the team to the ReliaQuest Bowl, but lost a tough 34-27 battle against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Pavia had a 70.6 completion percentage in 2025, completed 267 passes for 3,539 yards, and threw 29 touchdowns against eight interceptions during his final season at Vanderbilt. Pavia was also a Heisman Trophy finalist before losing it to Fernando Mendoza.  Sued the NCAA During the 2024 season, Diego Pavia filed an antitrust suit against the NCAA, challenging the rules to count junior college players towards four-year NCAA eligibility.  Pavia and his attorneys argued that counting junior college seasons as NCAA seasons violates the Sherman Antitrust Act, restricting players’ abilities to compete and earn Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money at the highest collegiate level.  A federal judge in Tennessee granted Pavia a preliminary injunction that allowed him to play during the 2025 season, resulting in a broader NCAA blanket waiver for other JUCO transfers wanting that four-year eligibility at the next level.  Even though Pavia entered the 2026 NFL Draft, he continued the lawsuit as a class action suit with 26 other plaintiffs, hoping to help other former JUCO players earn the same rights.  We hope Pavia and the 26 other plaintiffs are successful in court and help out other former JUCO players for the better. Comparisons to Johnny ManzielFeb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Pavia’s performance on the field has been compared to Johnny Manziel’s at Texas A&M, as they both have a “magic-maker” style.  Both quarterbacks became household names by orchestrating massive upsets against the Alabama Crimson Tide during their time in college. Both Manziel and Pavia are undersized dual-threat quarterbacks who made plays with their legs, off-script scrambles, and high-risk throws. Off the field, Pavia has had his fair share of controversies similar to Manziel, as a video surfaced of him peeing on the New Mexico Lobos’ logo in their practice facility in 2023, as we mentioned earlier. During a game against LSU, Pavia even mimicked Johnny Manziel’s money gesture combined with a Heisman pose.  Pavia has also been criticized for poor sports behavior, for posting “F— the voters,” and also partying at a nightclub in New York City and posting a sign that read, “F— Indiana,” as a dig against the Indiana Hoosiers and Fernando Mendoza, who won the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Moves like that were similar to Manziel’s. However, Pavia apologized for his trashy messages towards Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers, but the damage was done with some football fans.  Manziel has been a mentor to Pavia and wants him to succeed and avoid making the same mistakes he made when he first entered the NFL in 2014.  Pavia also said he and Manziel are friends, that the former 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has met his family, and that Manziel is a great person for those who don’t know, per The Athletic. The first Heisman Finalist to go Undrafted since 2014Dec 31, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter during the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images After the 2025 college football season, Pavia declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, but went undrafted, despite being a Heisman Trophy Finalist and winning the SEC Player of the Year award. Pavia was listed at 6-feet, but he measured under 5’10” and weighed 198 pounds at pre-draft events. Some NFL Scouts expressed their concern with Pavia’s arm strength and the speed that’s required by shorter quarterbacks. Scouts also expressed concerns about Pavia’s off-the-field persona, as it wouldn’t fly in the league, prompting teams to question whether to make him the face of their respective franchises. Former NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu said on a podcast that Pavia is too busy being a celebrity instead of focusing on football.  Just three days after the NFL Draft concluded, Pavia signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, joining a roster that already has Lamar Jackson as their starter and Tyler Huntley as the backup.  Pavia will have to compete for his roster spot before the regular season begins.  Pavia has an Underdog MentalityFeb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images Throughout his football journey, Diego Pavia has always had an underdog mentality for being overlooked for most of his football career. Pavia was a zero-star recruit out of high school before deciding to take his talent to the New Mexico Military Institute instead of going to Division II colleges, winning the NJCAA Championship in 2021. After Pavia transferred to New Mexico State, scouts doubted his height and viewed him as a pawn that would attract higher-rated talent. On top of that, Pavia has used the underdog mentality to turn college teams he played for, New Mexico State and Vanderbilt, into serious winners. New Mexico State was an afterthought before Pavia arrived on campus, and Vanderbilt was a punching bag for stronger SEC teams before Pavia transferred there in 2024. If Pavia earns a spot on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster or another roster in the 2026 season, he’ll continue to use his underdog mentality to get a starting position in the near future.  In conclusion, we hope to see Pavia lead an NFL team to success when or if he becomes a starter.