Former Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist in 12 years to go undrafted during the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
After signing with the Baltimore Ravens, Pavia was waived by the franchise on July 23, leaving the divisive quarterback’s future in limbo.
NFL Fans React to Stunning Diego Pavia Speculation
On Wednesday, a judge granted several players a temporary restraining order allowing them to return to college football.
Four of the 16 players party to the lawsuit are currently on NFL 90-man rosters and would be allowed to return to college if they are cut.
After the development, analyst Mike Florio suggested that Pavia could seek a return to college football to save him from the purgatory of his NFL career so far.
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Fans on X had mixed reactions to Florio’s speculation about Pavia:
Andrew Zimmel cheekily suggested that Pavia should get a job by writing, “Job market is bad. I get it. But this dude needs to GET A JOB.
Job market is bad. I get it. But this dude needs to GET A JOB. https://t.co/jdxz2BYgNE
— Andrew Zimmel (@Andrew_Zimmel) August 20, 2026
One fan urged Pavia, who is the beneficiary of an eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA, to give up.
“What happened to looking yourself in the mirror and telling yourself it’s over? It’s ok to hang it up and move on, man,” the fan asked.
Another fan had the wildest idea to have the Texas Tech Red Raiders sign Pavia.
“If Texas Tech really, really wants to be the true villains of college football, then this path is absolutely the way to go,” the fan implored.
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Derek Kopp blamed the NCAA for allowing the current confusion in college sports. He wrote, “He’ll (Pavia) sue and instantly become eligible like everyone else. The NCAA has no backbone.”
He’ll sue and instantly become eligible like everyone else.
The NCAA has no backbone. https://t.co/4rnVG1zzak
— Derek Kopp (@MileHighKopp) August 20, 2026
One fan predicted the end of Pavia’s football career by writing, “Well, when you go from 2nd in Heisman voting (which was embarrassing for voters) to being unable to make a training camp roster, you gotta start thinking about getting a job. Another year of college just delays the inevitable.”
Well, when you go from 2nd in Heisman voting (which was embarrassing for voters) to being unable to make a training camp roster, you gotta start thinking about getting a job. Another year of college just delays the inevitable.
— Kemp Honeycutt (@Kemp13) August 20, 2026
Another fan was not amused by the direction college sports were taking. The fan wrote, “If Pavia goes back to college for another season, just blow up the sport entirely.”
If Pavia goes back to college for another season just blow up the sport entirely https://t.co/gb5thY2ria
— Sweet Lou (@Louis_Ville) August 20, 2026
Pavia played two seasons of JUCO football at New Mexico Military Institute before joining the New Mexico State Aggies for two more years. Pavia became a household name after leading the Commodores to an upset win against then-No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024 in Nashville.
In 2025, Pavia earned the highest PFN College QB Impact score of 94.8 after tallying 3,539 passing yards on 70.6% completion, 29 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, adding 862 rushing yards and 10 scores for Vandy.
Canadian Football League team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, added the polarizing quarterback to their negotiation list in 2024. In an interview with “3DownNation” in April, after Pavia went undrafted, Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters revealed that the team was still interested in the ex-Vandy star.
