The Heisman winner has been revealed, and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia lost to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The loss seems to have affected the Commodores’ signal-caller, who had some less-than-inspiring words for the voters in the ceremony’s aftermath. His reaction went viral, which necessitated him backtracking his comments and apologizing for his uncalled behavior.
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…
— Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 15, 2025
The apology came in the form of a very curated statement, which some fans didn’t take kindly to following his offensive behavior. He did clarify through the statement that he will close out his college years with an appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Fans poured in their reactions to his statement shared on X.
“LMAO – fire the PR team that wrote this,” wrote one fan.
“You know you should have won, but you left humility behind when you started the journey. Be humble in winning and gracious in losing….,” said another person.
“lol the prestigious ReliaQuest Bowl,” joked another fan.
Some fans did stay with the Vanderbilt quarterback on this one.
“ngl i feel like yall are being too harsh on him, this sport is all about passion and hes showing it without being PR trained , he’s putting his heart on his sleeve and clearly showed he wanted it more than anyone so i think yall should chill 😭 i don’t want no damn players without spirit !!,” wrote a fan defending Pavia.
“No “gracious loser” cosplay required. You came to win. Never apologize for the hunger and for being human. Sure, the internet wants perfect sports heroes. But winners are made by imperfect humans who care too much. That edge is why you’re elite. Now go finish the season strong,” explained another person.
Others simply took his apology and accepted it.
“Owning mistakes and showing respect takes real strength. Your mindset and drive will carry you far beyond this moment,” said one fan.
What Did Diego Pavia Say About Voters?
Following the end of the Heisman ceremony, in which Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza was given college football’s top individual award, Diego Pavia posted an Instagram story in which he wrote the following message:
“F-all the voters 👎 But…Family for life,”
View this post on Instagram
This came alongside a picture with his teammates at the event. Some have even begun to wonder what this could mean for the player’s NFL Draft stock.
Similar behavior led to Shedeur Sanders dropping from the first round to the fifth in this year’s draft.
Read More:
James Franklin Makes His Move as Georgia Tech Coach Ignores SEC Team to Join Virginia Tech
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
