Diego Pavia went through something most college quarterbacks never experience. He put up 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Vanderbilt Commodores during a breakout season that ended with a Heisman Trophy runner-up finish.
He led the program to a ReliaQuest Bowl appearance and their first 10-win campaign in years. The stats backed him up and the recognition followed, but when the 2026 NFL Draft rolled around, his name never got called.
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That’s a tough pill to swallow for anyone who just wrapped up that kind of season. Somewhere along the way, Pavia leaned into a villain-type persona.
Whether he chose that identity or it got forced on him, it stuck. Since 2024, that confident and edgy attitude became part of his brand, and people noticed.
Deion Sanders noticed too. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach knows what it feels like when the draft doesn’t play out the way it should.
His son, Shedeur Sanders, slipped to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft after plenty of people projected him as a first-rounder. So, when Pavia’s situation went sideways, Sanders stepped up.
“I believe in you my man! Stay strong and don’t let up,” Sanders wrote. “Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget. Much love and god bless you.”
Sanders gets how to lift young athletes when things go wrong. But Pavia going undrafted and still not landing a deal as an undrafted free agent remains surprising.
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He stood among four finalists for the 2025 Heisman Trophy alongside Fernando Mendoza from the Indiana Hoosiers, Julian Sayin of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Jeremiyah Love representing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Mendoza won the trophy after a dominant year and got picked first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pavia’s road just looks different now, but Sanders made sure he knew someone believed in him.