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Diego Pavia is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>. On one hand, the former Vanderbilt star has the production and track record that one would expect of an early-round pick. He never had a losing season as a starting quarterback at the collegiate level and was a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist after throwing for an SEC-leading 29 touchdowns and rushing for 10 more scores.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Pavia does carry some significant question marks into the draft process. During multiple media availabilities at the NFL<\/a> Scouting Combine on Friday, Pavia was pelted with questions about his maturity, an issue that often took the spotlight during his time with the Commodores.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Yeah, [Vanderbilt] coach [Clark] Lea always preached that your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed until you’re 25,” Pavia joked when fielding one question about his maturity. “I just turned 24, so I got like 360 more days to go.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Renner’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Ranking the top 200 prospects as the NFL combine unfolds<\/p>\n \n Mike Renner <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Pavia’s humor didn’t deflect the deluge. NFL front offices have likely had similar questions to what Pavia has faced in his public appearances.\u00a0<\/p>\n He issued an apology in December<\/a><\/span> after facing backlash after a social media post that stated “F-all the [Heisman] voters.” He was also spotted at a club partying with a “F— Indiana” sign in reaction to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who beat Pavia for the Heisman before leading the Hoosiers to a national title.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pavia defended his reputation in an interview with CBS Sports<\/a>\u00a0by arguing that outsiders often confuse his confidence for arrogance.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I want them to know, and the future teammates that I do have, that, game on the line, I got you. Don’t worry about it,” Pavia said. “That’s how I carry myself. I think people get caught up in my confidence for arrogance. But my confidence comes from my preparation of work that I put in in the offseason, the week of, just things like that. That’s what boosts me to have that extra edge on Saturday.”<\/p>\n Pavia is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the 2026 draft class, something he can leverage in his interviews with NFL teams<\/a>. He played two years at New Mexico Military Institute, two at New Mexico State and two at Vanderbilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n In that time, he amassed a 47-22 record while throwing for 12,899 yards and 114 touchdowns with 4,210 yards and 46 touchdowns rushing.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I’ve seen a lot of football,” Pavia said. “I feel like I can process a defense really fast, get the ball where it needs to go, check us into good plays, stay out of bad plays. I feel like that’s how you stay on schedule, that second-and-6, third-and-short, that’s how you win football games.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n