Some were shocked when ex-Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia — a former Heisman Trophy finalist — went undrafted back in April.
Pavia ruffled some feathers after losing the Heisman to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, in which he threw some major shade at the Heisman Trophy voters.
“F— all the voters 👎 but family for life,” Pavia wrote on his Instagram story along with a photo of himself and his teammates posted by Theo Von.
Some have speculated that the Instagram post cost Pavia a draft slot (he was a projected Day 3 pick before the Heisman ceremony).
Diego Pavia Announces What’s Next for Football Future
After going undrafted, Pavia signed with the Baltimore Ravens. However, his tenure was short-lived as Baltimore cut him right before training camp, electing to go with undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano as the team’s QB3.
Though it’s been nearly three months since Pavia was last heard from, he recently revealed in an interview with UFL reporter James Larsen that his next step involves playing for the UFL as he tries to work his way back to landing an NFL roster spot.
“What I’ve been through — my journey’s not done,” Pavia stated. “I plan on doing some UFL, if everything goes smooth. I’m planning on bringing some teammates with me. And besides that, I’m here to support guys around the world. If they need help, they can reach out to me.
“I’ll be at a lot of (Vanderbilt) games, so I’m just here to have fun. I’ve got a little sister too. I want to support her in every way I can, show her the grind of how I made it. I’ve made it to some of the biggest stages in college athletics. So, that’s what I’m here for.”
Pavia also confirmed the news on his X account on Wednesday.
“Appreciate everyone reaching out with everything on my career. my agent @malkikawa and the UFL are currently in negotiations to make this happen! whatever team I end up at, I can promise you one thing- You will get everything I got 💯,” Pavia posted on X.
Ravens Current QB Situation
The player the Ravens ended up keeping over Pavia — Fagnano — ended up beating out Skylar Thompson in training camp for the team’s third-string job.
Tyler Huntley was signed to be the primary backup to Lamar Jackson. The 28-year-old former Pro Bowler has played in three games this season, starting two of them. He’s thrown for 429 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 99.8 passer rating while rushing for another 64 yards and a touchdown.
Baltimore is 1-1 in games Huntley starts this year. Jackson, who’s been battling an ankle injury, is expected to be back in the lineup soon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicted Jackson will return against the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.
Head coach Jesse Minter hasn’t divulged much about Jackson’s recovery.
“I’d still put it in kind of the day-to-day thing,” Minter said during Monday’s press conference. “We’ll know a lot more on Wednesday, I would say.”
Polarizing QB Diego Pavia Announces Career News After Ravens Release