Diego Pavia walked into Senior Bowl week carrying the weight of a Heisman runner-up finish, a viral outburst, and the skepticism of NFL scouts who measured him at 5-foot-9 7/8 on Monday. He also arrived with advice from Johnny Manziel that he says will stick with him “for the rest of my life.”
Speaking with PFSN’s Ian Cummings and other reporters in Mobile after his first Senior Bowl practice, Pavia opened up about his relationship with the former Heisman winner and the lessons he’s absorbed from watching Manziel’s career implode after the 2014 draft. The throughline was unmistakable: learn from the cautionary tale standing right in front of you.
Manziel Gave Pavia ‘The Do’s and the Don’ts’
Pavia described Manziel as “a close friend of mine” who has made a point of checking in throughout his rise at Vanderbilt. But their conversations go beyond casual friendship. According to Pavia, Manziel has been explicit about the mistakes that derailed his NFL career.
“He gave me like the do’s and the don’ts, and he gave me some advice that would stick with me for the rest of my life,” Pavia said. “He was just like, hey, if you really want this, like you got to pour your all into this.”
Then came the part that revealed how much Pavia has internalized the warnings: “Just do as he says, not as he did.”
It’s a striking admission from a quarterback whose own maturity came under scrutiny after his “F— all the voters” outburst following the Heisman ceremony in December. That moment prompted Manziel himself to publicly criticize Pavia, calling the behavior something that “went too far.” Now, weeks later, Pavia is framing Manziel’s guidance not as general mentorship but as a specific blueprint for avoiding self-destruction.
“He knows my goal,” Pavia said. “He’s always here to give me advice, so I’m super thankful for him, like just going out of his way, checking up on me, making sure I’m doing good. He’s just someone who I looked up to since a little kid, and now he’s like one of my homies.”
What Made Vanderbilt Different
The Manziel relationship gets most of the headlines, but Pavia’s Senior Bowl comments also revealed something NFL evaluators should be paying closer attention to: his understanding of team culture and what it takes to sustain it.
Asked about Vanderbilt’s transformation from SEC cellar-dweller to 10-win program, Pavia pointed to a shift in daily habits that predated any game results.
“When I first got there, there wasn’t a lot of extra work being put in,” Pavia said. “Then you go to fall camp. Obviously, the days are long. You’re getting there early, staying late. I’m leaving the building around 9 p.m., and I see guys hitting the punching bag in the weight room. Then you go to the indoo,r and there’s guys working on their routes, they’re working on their footwork, and it’s 12 at night.”
MORE: Senior Bowl Day 1 Practice Observations
That kind of detail matters when evaluating a quarterback’s leadership capacity. Pavia wasn’t taking credit for the culture. He was describing how it rippled through the roster.
“Everyone was an underdog and just wanted it so much more than everyone else,” he said.
Pavia’s 2025 campaign earned him the top spot in PFSN’s QB Impact metric, posting a 94.8 QB Impact Score with an “A” grade. His 71.2% completion rate ranked eighth nationally, while his 9.1 net yards per attempt placed fourth. The dual-threat dimension showed up in his rushing totals: 826 yards (10th) and nine touchdowns on 152 attempts, with 46 scrambles adding to his designed runs.
Perhaps most telling for NFL evaluators: Pavia converted 50.9% of third and fourth down attempts (seventh nationally), the kind of chain-moving efficiency that kept Vanderbilt’s offense humming en route to a 92.1 Season OFFI mark, second-best in the country.
His height will remain a talking point. His maturity will remain a question. But for teams willing to look past the measurables and the December headlines, Pavia’s track record of elevating programs should carry weight. He did it at New Mexico Military Institute, where he won a NJCAA national championship in 2021. He did it at New Mexico State. He did it at Vanderbilt.
Whether he can do it in the NFL depends largely on whether he heeds his own advice: do as Manziel says, not as Manziel did.
Where Pavia Fits in the 2026 NFL Draft Picture
The 2026 quarterback class lacks a consensus top prospect, with Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson as the only clear top prospects. That uncertainty creates opportunity for Pavia, but his measurements complicate an already difficult evaluation.
Kyler Murray entered the 2019 combine at 5’10 1/8″ and 207 pounds. That extra nine pounds mattered. Murray’s frame could absorb hits and maintain velocity through four quarters. Pavia’s 198-pound frame will face skepticism about whether it can do the same.
The comparison extends to processing. Murray entered the NFL with elite arm talent and questions about reading defenses. Pavia enters with questions about both. His single-read tendencies and willingness to bail from clean pockets show up on film. Against SEC competition, he masked those tendencies with athleticism. Against NFL talent, the margin shrinks.
All this being said, Pavia’s intangibles are undeniable. He led Vanderbilt to a 10-3 record. He was the program’s first Heisman finalist. He commands respect in the huddle. He doesn’t flinch in hostile environments.
“If they want to win, come get me,” Pavia said at SEC Media Days. “That’s what I’ve gotta say.”
The Senior Bowl gives him a week to prove it. He’ll face NFL-caliber competition, operate an NFL offense, and show whether his game translates beyond the college level. The measurements are set. The tape is available. Now Pavia needs to convince evaluators that what he lacks in size, he makes up for in substance.
Most projections slot him as a Day 3 selection, somewhere between the fifth and seventh rounds. According to data collected by PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, Pavia has an average draft position of 215.
A strong Senior Bowl showing could push him into Day 2 conversations. A poor one might cement his path as an undrafted free agent fighting for a roster spot.
Either way, Pavia will be 24 when he takes an NFL snap. The clock is ticking, and the tape measure doesn’t lie.
