After a senior season that saw him get second place in the Heisman voting and lead Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record and narrowly miss the College Football Playoffs, many are wondering if Diego Pavia will be playing during the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Pavia raised a lot of eyebrows after he ranted about losing the Heisman to Mendoza, but many still believe he is headed to the NFL and thus possibly not playing.
As a senior and a quarterback that many NFL teams might want, he can opt out of playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida, so that he does not risk injury in time for the NFL Draft Combine. However, that does not seem to be the case.
It was confirmed that Diego Pavia will indeed be suiting up for the Commodores for the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Hawkeyes. In fact, it was Pavia himself who confirmed it, though many fans had already assumed that he would play due to how competitive he is.
It is not all good news for Vanderbilt, however, as his favorite target, John Mackey Award winner Eli Stowers, has been confirmed to have opted out of playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl to focus on his preparation for the upcoming NFL draft, with head coach Clark Lea also confirming the news himself. As for Pavia, he has not yet declared for the draft officially.
Pavia has had the best season of his career so far, passing for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a completion rate of 71.2%. He also has 826 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, making him one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football right now.
Diego Pavia Can Fight For Another Year of Eligibility If He Chooses Not To Go To the NFL
Diego Pavia may likely head to the NFL draft for 2026, but he does have another option if he seeks another shot at the Heisman, and that is fight for another year of eligibility. He was one of the 27 college football players who were part of a lawsuit against the NCAA and argued for an additional year of eligibility, and they won.
They argued that their time at junior college should not count and successfully won it. In Pavia’s case, he played two seasons for the New Mexico Military Institute, transferring to New Mexico State in 2022, which means that he could fight for another year of eligibility if he wants to.
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