With Senior Bowl rosters officially announced and NFL teams beginning to solidify their plans for the event, two quarterbacks find themselves approaching the biggest crossroads of their football lives from very different paths. Garrett Nussmeier and Diego Pavia, headliners for their respective teams at the quarterback position, will share the same stage one last time before the NFL comes calling.
Senior Bowl Provides a Prime Stage to Shine
Both are nearing the end of their college football journeys, both are chasing a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, and both now have an invaluable opportunity in Mobile, Alabama, to reshape how league evaluators view their futures.
For Nussmeier, the Senior Bowl represents a chance at redemption, a way to remind evaluators of the quarterback they once believed could lead a franchise. For Pavia, it’s an opportunity to convert historic college production into legitimate NFL belief.
Different journeys. Different questions. Same dream.
2026 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks 🏈🔥
American Team:
• Luke Altmyer — Illinois
• Taylen Green — Arkansas
• Garrett Nussmeier — LSUNational Team:
• Diego Pavia — Vanderbilt
• Cole Payton — North Dakota State
• Sawyer Robertson — Baylor#TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/p6JpPh8kaV— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 14, 2026
When the Senior Bowl kicks off, both quarterbacks will be playing for far more than bragging rights. They’ll be playing for draft stock, perception, and the next chapter of their football lives.
Garrett Nussmeier: A Chance to Reclaim Momentum
Nussmeier returned to Baton Rouge for his senior season with sky-high expectations. After flashing enough promise to consider entering the NFL Draft a year ago, he opted instead to continue his development at LSU, believing another season could lead to both a national title and a stronger draft résumé.
Unfortunately, the 2025 season did not unfold as planned.
From both an individual and team standpoint, things never quite clicked. According to PFSN, Nussmeier’s QB CFB Impact Grade dropped significantly, from an impressive 81.6 in 2024 (12th nationally among quarterbacks) to a 75.9 this season, ranking 110th. It was a steep regression that raised eyebrows across the scouting community.
Context matters, though. Injuries plagued Nussmeier throughout the year, and playing through them clearly impacted his performance. Despite the statistical dip, NFL evaluators haven’t completely soured on his potential. PFSN’s consensus big board still lists him as the QB4 in what is considered a weaker quarterback class, an important reminder that opportunity remains firmly within reach.
That’s what makes the Senior Bowl so crucial. A strong week of practices and game reps could quickly flip the narrative, pushing his arrow back up and reminding scouts why he was once viewed as one of the more intriguing passers in the country.
Diego Pavia: From Feel-Good Story to National Star
While Nussmeier’s senior season was about managing expectations, Diego Pavia’s was about defying them.
Pavia’s rise began in 2024, when he led Vanderbilt to a winning record and authored several upset victories that briefly thrust the program back into the national spotlight. It was a feel-good story, but what followed in 2025 was something few saw coming.
Using his extra year of eligibility, Pavia returned and elevated his game to an entirely new level. Vanderbilt finished the regular season 10-2, cracked the top 15 in the CFP rankings, narrowly missed the playoff bracket, and watched its quarterback become a legitimate Heisman Trophy finalist.
Statistically, Pavia was unmatched. His PFSN QB CFB Impact Grade of 94.8 led all quarterbacks nationally, and he guided Vanderbilt to the second-highest graded offense in the country at 92.1. By any college standard, it was an exceptional season.
Yet the NFL evaluation is more complicated.
Despite the accolades, PFSN’s consensus big board slots Pavia as QB17. Scouts cite several concerns: his smaller stature for the position, a play style leaning more toward dual-threat than traditional pocket passer, questions about consistency within the pocket, his older age limiting perceived upside, and reports of maturity issues surfacing during the evaluation process.
That’s where the Senior Bowl becomes vital. With scouts from every team on site, Pavia will have the opportunity to answer those questions directly, showcasing growth as a passer, command of an NFL-style offense, and leadership in a professional environment. He’s shown he thrives under the bright lights before, and Mobile gives him one final opportunity to prove it with that Vanderbilt helmet on.
