Andy Backstrom·Ian CasselberryTue, April 28, 2026 at 6:27 PM UTC·7 min readUndrafted free agent Diego Pavia, the first Heisman Trophy finalist, to go undrafted since 2014, is signing a three-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.
The former Vanderbilt star was supposed to try out this weekend at Ravens rookie minicamp, but the team signed him in advance, per Schefter.
Pavia is one of the most polarizing college football players in recent memory. The former JUCO, New Mexico State and Vanderbilt quarterback was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result, he became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch was not picked in the 2014 draft.
Immediately following the draft’s conclusion on Saturday, Pavia did not sign with an NFL team as a free agent. He reportedly visited the Carolina Panthers before the draft, but no other visits were publicized.
The Ravens, however, are giving Pavia a chance. They’re also bringing undrafted free agent quarterback Joe Fagnano aboard on a three-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Fagnano played at Maine and UConn, most notably leading the Huskies to back-to-back nine-win seasons, even posting a 28:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2025.
Ravens are signing former Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to a three-year deal, per source. Pavia was supposed to try out this weekend, but the Ravens signed him in advance. pic.twitter.com/UfDEabnXo4
Based on a viral interview clip with Jon Gruden earlier this spring made it appear that Pavia had not hired an agent ahead of the predraft process.
"I didn't think it was fair that someone was going to represent me and take 5 to 10 percent," Pavia told Gruden. "Ain't nobody taking my money."
However, that discussion was about Pavia’s NIL money at Vanderbilt. Malki Kawa has said he’s representing Pavia, and NFL agent commissions are capped at 3%.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was among those voicing support for Pavia following the NFL Draft’s conclusion.
@diegopavia02 “I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN! Stay strong and don’t let up. Show them what time it is and never allow them to forget. Much Love & God bless you. #PRIME
“I BELIEVE IN YOU MY MAN!” Sanders wrote on X. “Stay strong and don’t let up.”
Pavia, 24, became the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy last year at Vanderbilt, finishing behind then-Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and in front of then-Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who were the No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks in this year’s draft, respectively. But his reaction to falling short of the sport’s most prestigious award harmed his already controversial reputation.
Pavia, a brazen playmaker with an adoration for Johnny Manziel and a chip on his shoulder that dwarfs his 5-foot-10 frame, reposted an Instagram post from comedian Theo Von to his Instagram story with the caption, “F- all the voters but ... family for life.”
He later apologized and noted that Mendoza was “a deserving winner of the award.” Also in the apology statement Pavia posted to social media, he mentioned how he’s been doubted his whole life.
.@VandyFootball @diegopavia02 reads a defense as good as anyone in this draft and is not easily fooled...I know the NFL game is completely different than CFB but it will be interesting to see him compete on Sundays. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/gmO6YYL7ml
“Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me,” he wrote at the time.
Pavia even had to fight for an extra year of eligibility to continue the program turnaround he initiated at Vanderbilt. Ultimately, a federal judge in Tennessee granted an injunction that allowed Pavia to play a sixth season of college football after he sued the NCAA. Pavia claimed the organization violated antitrust law by counting his time in JUCO toward his NCAA eligibility clock, thereby affecting his ability to earn money from his name, image and likeness.
That ruling had a ripple effect on the college sports landscape, particularly NCAA eligibility rules.
.@VandyFootball QB Diego Pavia with a couple of beauties on the go route. 2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iI0vu4koR0