"He already has CTE," "Johnny Manziel 2.0": CFB fans roast Diego Pavia for wanting to play for Raiders and Maxx Crosby in NFL

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is expected to enter the 2026 NFL draft. In a recent livestream, Pavia said he would prefer to go to the Las Vegas Raiders so he could be teammates with superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby.

When fans caught wind of Pavia's comments about joining the Raiders, they shared some wild reactions.

"Damn he already has CTE :(," one tweeted. "Johnny Manziel 2.0," another added. "Man when this guy goes undrafted and doesn’t make a roster he’s going to be the worst person on the internet," a third commented.

Here are a few more reactions.

"No. Miss me with all that baggage he brings," one wrote. "This midget ain’t gotta future in the NFL. Better shot at piggy backing this into Jake Paul esqe’ MMA career or something with wrestling background," another added. "He won't make it pass the rookie contract," a user tweeted. "This guy will never make an NFL roster," a fan wrote.

Pavia began his collegiate career at New Mexico Military Institute in 2020. He played two years with the program and won the NJCAA Division I national title in 2021.

Pavia committed to New Mexico State in 2022. After two years with the Aggies, Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt in 2024.

In October, Pavia said he does not plan to seek another year of college eligibility. It will be interesting to see if Pavia gets his wish to play with Crosby and the Raiders next year.

Diego Pavia's Vanderbilt will lock horns with Iowa in 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia - Source: Getty

The Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2) will lock horns with the No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31. The game will commence at noon ET from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Diego Pavia has enjoyed a fabulous season with the Commodores so far. He has recorded 3,192 passing yards and 27 touchdowns along with eight interceptions, while rushing for 826 yards and nine scores.

Pavia was named as a Heisman Trophy finalist on Monday. He will want to cap an impressive season with a win over the Hawkeyes, which should also boost his draft stock.

Edited by Arnold