How Diego Pavia's Heisman Week 'Antics' Reportedly Impacted 2026 NFL Draft Stock

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's decision to publicly work through his feelings about the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting may not have won him many fans in the NFL with the draft coming up in the spring.

On the latest episode of his Outta Pocket podcast, Robert Griffin III explained that Pavia's "antics" have led to some NFL decision-makers "concerned that they can trust him in the building at all."

After Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was named the winner of the 2025 Heisman Trophy, Pavia posted a picture on Instagram with his friends and teammates with the caption "F-all the voters" and a thumbs down emoji.

In a separate video posted to social media, Pavia was seen flipping off a sign that read "f--k Indiana" while at a party. He did issue an apology for his initial comments toward the voters in a post on X:

"Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn't handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry."

Pavia finished second to Mendoza in the voting with 189 first-place votes and 1,435 total points. He was the first Vanderbilt player to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

The NFL prospects for Pavia even before this situation didn't seem very strong anyway. B/R's NFL scouting department doesn't have him ranked among the top 13 quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted Pavia is labeled as a "priority free agent" by most NFL scouts, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he is selected in the later rounds because his "competitive mentality will win over the room during pre-draft interviews."

Among the drawbacks for Pavia on the field is size, with Brugler noting some scouts measured him in at just under 5'10" in the spring. For comparison, Bryce Young was in the first percentile of quarterback prospects at just over 5'10" leading up to the 2023 draft.

There's no denying that Pavia's on-field performance dramatically improved in his final season at Vanderbilt, which could help his pro stock. He threw for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and completed 71.2 percent of his attempts, while running for 826 yards and nine touchdowns.