Diego Pavia receives ringing endorsement at NFL Combine that could make NFL evaluators break their own rules
The Vanderbilt Commodores are coming off the finest season in their program’s history, finishing with a 10-3 overall record and a No. 15 ranking in the final AP Poll. Head coach Clark Lea has done wonders with the program, led by a very improved offense during the 2025 college football season. That includes a couple […]
The Vanderbilt Commodores are coming off the finest season in their program’s history, finishing with a 10-3 overall record and a No. 15 ranking in the final AP Poll. Head coach Clark Lea has done wonders with the program, led by a very improved offense during the 2025 college football season. That includes a couple of talented 2026 NFL Draft prospects – star quarterback Diego Pavia and tight end Eli Stowers.
Those players have been attached by the hip for multiple seasons now, becoming close while they battled it out for the starting quarterback job with the New Mexico State Aggies back in 2022. Pavia would win that job, allowing Stowers to eventually move over to the tight end position. From there, the rest is history, both joining the Commodores program prior to the 2024 season and also developing into two of the better players at the position in the country.
Stowers and Pavia are now chasing their NFL dreams at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Pavia is one of the more divisive players in the class, bringing some controversy and criticism. While Stowers was available for the media this week, he was asked about his quarterback. He gave a ringing endorsement for Pavia.
“Yeah, I mean, one, just look at his production,” Stowers said about Pavia. “I think he was the best player in college last year. Two, I think that people don’t understand how hard of a worker he is and how good of a leader he is. That’s what you want in the quarterback on your team. He will not let anybody outwork him, and he’s gonna hold the standard and hold people up to that standard as well. And y’all see his film, he’s a baller.”
Diego Pavia’s path to the NFL
You won’t find a more unlikely path to the NFL than Pavia’s. Overlooked coming out of high school in the state of New Mexico, the former star wrestler and football player was forced to begin his career on the JUCO level at New Mexico Military Institute. In two years with the program, Pavia earned an opportunity at New Mexico State, ending with a JUCO national championship.
During his next two years at New Mexico State, Pavia quickly became one of the top dual threat quarterbacks on the FBS level. After that prolific two-year stretch, he once again earned a bigger opportunity, this time with Vanderbilt. A school without much success on the football field historically, Pavia would have to prove that he belonged in the SEC.
Fast forward two years and Pavia leaves as one of the best players ever to wear the Commodore uniform. The Heisman Trophy finalist was named as a First-Team All-SEC and All-American selection during his final year in 2025. Pavia ended his college career with 10,255 passing yards and 88 touchdowns. He also added another 3,094 yards and 31 scores as a runner.
An outlier in terms of size, there are going to be a lot of questions surround Pavia’s abilities to translate to the NFL level. This won’t be the first time that Pavia will be doubted, however. It’ll be interesting to see if he defies the odds once again.
College Football
Heisman finalist Diego Pavia might have Deion Sanders eating his words of the past surrounding his son Shedeur Sanders
Diego Pavia is in the mix to win a Heisman this weekend, and the road to this moment included some humble pie from Deion Sanders.
