Heisman Finalist Diego Pavia Waived by Ravens Before Camp Even Started

Diego Pavia went from college football celebrity to NFL afterthought in a hurry. The Ravens cut him Thursday, before Baltimore even opened training camp. Ian Rapoport broke the news.

Pavia isn’t your typical undrafted free agent. He was a Heisman finalist last season. He led Vanderbilt past Alabama in what might be the biggest upset of 2024. He finished the year with a 10-win season, the first in program history. At 5-foot-10, he’s undersized. But that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most talked-about quarterbacks in college football.

His path to Nashville was weird enough. He started at New Mexico State, transferred to Vanderbilt, and exploded. The Commodores won games they had no business winning. Pavia became the face of a program that had been irrelevant for years. He was a dual-threat nightmare for defenses, scrambling and slinging it all over the field.

But the off-field stuff caught up with him. After losing the Heisman to Fernando Mendoza, Pavia posted a graphic message on Instagram that said, essentially, screw the voters. Then he got photographed holding a sign that said the same thing about Indiana. He apologized quickly. By then, though, the damage was done.

Draft analysts started questioning his maturity. His size was already a red flag for NFL teams. New head coach Jesse Minter still brought him in, figuring he could learn from Lamar Jackson. It was a low-risk flyer. It didn’t work.

So where does Pavia go now? He’s a free agent. He could catch on with another NFL team looking for a camp arm. The Ravens’ decision doesn’t mean he’s done. But it’s a setback.

He also holds rights in the Canadian Football League. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers claimed him back in April. That might be his most realistic option at this point. The CFL has a history of giving shorter quarterbacks a real shot. Pavia’s scrambling style could translate well up north.

For now, he waits. Another team might call. Or he might end up in Winnipeg by August. Either way, it’s a sharp comedown for a guy who was in the Heisman conversation six months ago.