Why did Diego Pavia go undrafted? Vandy QB is first Heisman finalists since 2014 to not be selected

While he was a 2025 Heisman finalist, former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia became the first Heisman finalist since 2014 to not be drafted.

Pavia proved to be one of college football's most polarizing figures, and many viewers drew comparisons to Johnny Manziel. The quarterback admitted that Manziel actually reached out to him ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The former Commodore is far from towering over his offensive line, standing at just over 5-foot-10. He also did not complete many of the NFL Combine events, as he opted to participate in the majority of events at Vanderbilt's Pro Day.

Here's a look at some reasons that may have contributed to Pavia's undrafted status.

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Why did Diego Pavia go undrafted? 

A wide variety of reasons could have contributed to Pavia's phone being silent on draft weekend. First, according to the NFL, Pavia measures at 5-foot-10 and one-eighth of an inch. That would make Pavia one of the shortest QBs in the NFL. If Pavia were to be signed as an undrafted free agent and appear in an NFL game, he would tie Doug Flutie, Joe Hamilton, Kyler Murray, and Bryce Young as the shortest-listed passers in league history. All four of those players were also listed as 5-foot-10.

Pavia did not record a 40-yard time at this year's combine. Along with this, he didn't perform in the vertical or broad jump events. He did these events at Vanderbilt's Pro Day.

He exclusively threw passes at the combine. Here are a couple of his throws.

Diego Pavia missed bad on the first out route, but cleaned it up on the second one pic.twitter.com/Dwa2Od3Lbk

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 1, 2026

The former Vanderbilt quarterback has also had his fair share of viral moments on social media. One quote that was widely circulated came at the combine, where Pavia joked that his brain was not yet fully developed. His personality did manage to rub some fans the wrong way, even if the joke was harmless. 

“Coach Lea always pressed that your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed til you’re 25, and I just turned 24," Pavia said. "So, I've got like 360 more days to go.” 

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) February 27, 2026

Despite these circumstances, Pavia was expecting to be drafted at some point this year.

The setup for Diego Pavia’s draft party. We will see where the Vanderbilt QB goes. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/66iMsshgYC

— Julian Mininsohn (@JMininsohn) April 25, 2026

MORE: How did Diego Pavia do at the NFL Combine?

Last Heisman finalist to go undrafted?

The last Heisman finalist to go undrafted was Jordan Lynch. The former Northern Illinois quarterback later signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, but was later waived in May 2014.

Here are Lynch's stats from his four-year collegiate career, according to Sports Reference.

Season	Games	CMP%	Pass Yds	TDs	Int
2010	9	66.7%	13	1	0
2011	13	75.0%	166	1	0
2012	14	60.2%	3,138	25	6
2013	14	62.6%	2,892	24	8
TOTAL/Avg	50	61.8%	6,209	51	14

Diego Pavia scouting report

Pavia measures at 5-foot-10 and one-eighth of an inch, according to the NFL. At Vanderbilt's Pro Day, the QB had a 4.76 40-yard time. It is unclear how he did in the vertical and broad jump events at his Pro Day.

Here are some of Pavia's other measurements from the combine.

— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) February 28, 2026

MORE: How did Fernando Mendoza do at his Pro Day?

What's next for Diego Pavia?

It is still possible to Pavia to suit up and play football professionally. First, the quarterback can still sign with a team after the draft as an unrestricted free-agent. Former Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch did this in 2014. This seems like the QB's most likely route. 

Another route Pavia could go is playing in the Canadian Football League or the United Football League. While these leagues don't have the same name value as the NFL, they are still professional football leagues.

For now, Pavia will have to take a non-traditional path into the NFL.

MORE: Where are the NFL's best free agents projected to land?