Infamously brash and competitive, former New Mexico State quarterback and New Mexico native Diego Pavia remained undrafted through all seven rounds of the NFL Draft, without offers from any of the 32 NFL teams as of draft weekend April 23-25, 2026.
His six-season journey of building his collegiate career began from playing on a junior college (JUCO) team at New Mexico Military Institute, to leading New Mexico State University to a 2022 bowl win and 2023 Conference USA appearance, before guiding his team at Vanderbilt University to its first winning season since 2013. At the end of 2025, Pavia was named a finalist and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy ceremony, making him the first finalist to go undrafted in 12 years.
It would be unfair to say that Pavia’s gameplay attributes caused him to remain undrafted. However, primary physical factors unquestionably strained his chances. Traditionally, first-round pick quarterbacks are between 6’2” and 6’5”, causing recruiters to look past Pavia, who stands at just under 5 ’10”.
Additionally, his overall playing style isn’t one typically seen integrating well into the NFL. Channeling his power to his legs to often create more scoring chances downfield worked well against collegiate defenses, but is unsustainable against upper-level opponents, who are trained to watch for and adapt to “run-first” instinctive plays like Pavia had become used to making. The RPO (run-pass option) heavy offense at Vanderbilt catered to this, rendering Pavia’s arm game inferior to other prospects: something that’s prized and highly regarded within the NFL.
As cited in a CBS Sports article, his shortcomings became evident on this year’s Pro Day. ”Pavia connected on only three of 12 deep passes that [evaluators] graded as ‘on-time and on-target.’ Five misses were overthrown and four were underthrown,” the article said.
The combination of his unconventional physicality, mixed with his unfavorable reputation, made his resumé entering the draft notorious.
After creating a string of self-inflicted social wounds over the past few years, spanning from urinating on the University of New Mexico’s field logo to berating fans and fellow players online, scrutiny from the general public eye and the football community has become a common sight surrounding Pavia’s name. Speculation regarding his professionalism caused concern from many teams, contributing to his draft misfortune.
The NFL, alongside many different sporting organizations, holds its players to high standards when it comes to sportsmanship and positive player interactions within the public sphere, especially online.
Following his second-place finish to Indiana University’s Fernando Mendoza in the 2025 Heisman voting, Pavia posted a profane Instagram story which stated “F- ALL THE VOTERS”, and after facing the backlash from that situation, footage broke loose of him at a club holding up the middle finger to a sign that read, “F— Indiana,”. Both statements made an enormous splash among fans and opposers alike, which transformed into a scandal that forced recruiters to weigh in on his maturity on top of every other aspect.
Incidents like these are sure to hurt any player’s draft stock, and Pavia had already made headlines among online college football players and fans alike with a lawsuit from Nov. 2024.
Nobody said that six-season careers came easily. Pavia, later joined by 26 other players, sued the NCAA over rules limiting junior college athletes to the same four years of Division I eligibility, arguing his time at New Mexico Military Institute, a non-NCAA school, shouldn’t count toward those DI eligibility years. The case has since grown into a class action suit, with his legal team still fighting the limitation today.
The case has sparked fierce controversy across the college football world. Many fans and players have rallied behind Pavia, praising him for challenging a rule they see as outdated and unfair to athletes whose paths to Division I weren’t straightforward, but the backlash has been equally vocal. Particularly, Division II and III players criticize that extending eligibility for seasoned veterans gives older athletes an unfair advantage, eating up roster spots that would otherwise go to upcoming players still developing their game. Some have gone further, accusing Pavia of prolonging his career at the expense of the next generation. Regarding the draft, one could say this backfired upon him, as Pavia entered as a 24-year-old rookie, giving recruiters concern that there would not be much time for development as first round picks are typically 21-22 years old.
Alas, after being completely passed up in the draft and remaining as a rookie free-agent quarterback, the Baltimore Ravens became his light in the dark, offering a chance to attend a training camp when all had seemed long gone for Pavia.
“[Pavia has] had some experiences that are learning experiences that he could learn from and be better from. I don’t think anybody would dispute that,” Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter said in an interview with ESPN. “But when you talk to the people inside that building [at Vanderbilt] and what he’s about as a player, he is showing up early every day and working really hard.”
The Ravens signed him onto a three-year contract to compete for the third-string quarterback position with no guaranteed money, granting the team to observe him throughout the offseason, three days before the camp began.
So, when the upcoming NFL preseason starts in September, NMSU students may have a chance to see their former quarterback playing on the pro-field and into another historic tale of integrity and conquest, or could witness just how long the cost of controversy outweighs talent.
