Photo: Brendan Ross/Vanderbilt
It doesn’t seem unrealistic that Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia could end up in the CFL in the relatively near future.
The highly-touted collegiate quarterback went unselected in the recent 2026 NFL Draft and has yet to sign a free-agent contract with one of the league’s 32 teams. Though it’s not unfeasible for undrafted free agents to sign more than a day after the draft is over, most agreements occur within hours of the draft’s conclusion.
Pavia’s exclusive CFL rights belong to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who added him to their negotiation list in 2024. A team spokesperson told 3DownNation they’re unaware of whether or not the team has been in contact with Pavia’s agent, who declined 3DownNation‘s request for comment.
Ben DiNucci, an analyst for CBS who played quarterback in the NFL and XFL, sees Pavia’s CFL potential as sky-high.
“If I was Diego Pavia and still want to play football I would call the CFL and UFL immediately,” he posted to social media. “No better way to shut people up and show them you’re serious about playing. Just have to go play somewhere at this point. I could see him having similar career to Doug Flutie up north.”
Flutie isn’t a bad comparison for Pavia, who lacks the prototypical size for a professional quarterback. At five-foot-ten and 207 pounds, Pavia didn’t receive any NCAA Division I scholarship offers coming out of high school, which he has since attributed to his size.
Some of Pavia’s conduct on social media may also have played a factor in him going undrafted in the NFL. After losing the Heisman Trophy to eventual first-overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza in December, Pavia posted a caption to his Instagram story reading, “F-all the voters.” He later apologized for this remark, calling it disrespectful.
With no NFL offer seemingly on the table, Pavia could sign in the UFL, though the timeline is tight. There are only five weeks remaining in the league’s regular-season schedule, which wouldn’t give him long to sign a contract, learn the playbook, and win a starting job.
If the 24-year-old wants a full season to develop, the CFL, which opens rookie camps on May 6, would likely be the best bet.
Size and attitude concerns aside, there’s no questioning Pavia’s talent.
Pavia started his collegiate career at the New Mexico Military Institute, where he went 12-1 as a starter in 2021 and threw 21 touchdown passes to only one interception.
The native of Albuquerque, N.M. transferred to New Mexico State University in 2022 and completed 57.9 percent of his passes for 4,423 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions over two seasons. He also rushed for 1,431 yards and 13 scores, earning a second-team All-CUSA selection in 2023.
Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt University in 2024 and earned a second-team All-SEC selection that same year. In 2025, he was named first-team All-SEC, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-American, and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Over 26 games with the Commodores, he completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 5,832 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,663 yards and 18 scores.
Though it remains unclear where Pavia will land in 2026, the CFL seems like a legitimate option.
If he were to sign up north, he’d arguably be the biggest college star to do so since Chad Kelly.
