Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was among the most talked-about players in the 2025 college football season.
While he was a favorite among many fans to win the Heisman Trophy honor this year in New York, it ultimately went to Indiana star Fernando Mendoza.
Pavia didn’t handle his loss too well as he was seen partying in a club with a “f*ck Indiana” banner while also putting up a story saying, “f*ck the voters,” and paired it with a thumbs down emoji along with a heartwarming message to his family.
The Vanderbilt quarterback faced a lot of backlash from many fans and analysts over his behavior after the Heisman ceremony, which led him to issue an apology on X. He explained that coming short of fulfilling his dream of winning the prestigious trophy was painful, hence he didn’t manage his emotions very well.
Talking about how Diego messed up his image, former Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton said on his YouTube channel 4th & 1 With Cam Newton (38:00):
“There is a right way to lose and there’s also a wrong way to lose and he just literally made an example of what not to do.”
“These are the things. It takes nothing to get in trouble. It takes everything to get out of it. It wasn’t like that. Do not do something that you’re going to end up apologizing for. And I’m not to say I’m not saying, Diego, that you don’t have a right to feel how you felt but to publicize that, THIS man went from America’s sweetheart, America’s underdog, to literally a person that people despise and hate, that’s really about 9 to 10 hours that you just messed up your whole image,” he added.
Rece Davis Confesses On Regretting His Heisman Vote Amid Diego Pavia Controversy
During his latest College GameDay podcast, Rece Davis, who is a voter for the Heisman Trophy, weighed in on Pavia’s situation after losing the ceremony.
Rece said that while he believes Pavia didn’t owe an apology to the voters as he can say anything he wants, it made him regret voting for the Vanderbilt QB because of his behavior.
“I voted for Diego Pavia because I know what the history of Vanderbilt is. I thought he was the most dynamic player. I’m predisposed in Heisman voting to vote for guys who create ‘wow’ moments,” Davis said.
Pavia led the Commodores to their first 10-win season while contributing 4,000 combined yards and 36 touchdowns throughout the year.
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