The Baltimore Ravens have pulled the plug on Diego Pavia's NFL dream before it even had a chance to take flight. The former Vanderbilt star and Heisman Trophy runner-up was waived Tuesday, just six days before the team opens training camp.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke the news, confirming that the Ravens have moved on from the undrafted free agent who had been hoping to compete for a roster spot this summer.
Pavia's journey from college superstar to NFL afterthought has been swift and brutal. After finishing second in the Heisman voting in 2025—only behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza—the quarterback went undrafted in April. The Ravens gave him a shot as a free agent, but that opportunity has now evaporated before he could even step onto the practice field in full pads.
The timing couldn't be worse. With training camps across the league about to kick off, Pavia finds himself without a team and few obvious landing spots left. Teams have already set their 90-man rosters, and most have their quarterback rooms locked in.
From Hero to Zero in the Eyes of Fans
Pavia's fall from grace hasn't gone unnoticed by the football world, and the internet wasted no time piling on. Social media erupted with jokes and jabs aimed at the quarterback whose cocky demeanor in the latter half of the 2025 college season rubbed many the wrong way.
“They must have thought the box he needed on every play was more of a tripping hazard than it was worth,” one user joked on X, referencing Pavia's signature pre-snap signal.
“Time to practice saying ‘Can I take your order?'” wrote another, mocking his sudden unemployment.
“Heisman runner up to waived in less than a year has got to be a humbling experience,” a third remarked.
“Damn bro didn't even make it to training camp.”
“Doordash is getting a new starter.”
The mockery underscores how quickly the narrative around Pavia has shifted. Just months ago, he was being celebrated as the face of Vanderbilt's stunning resurgence—now he's the punchline of NFL jokes.
A Historic College Career Cut Short
It's easy to forget, amid the Schadenfreude, just how remarkable Pavia's college career was. In 2024, he orchestrated one of the biggest upsets in college football history, leading the Commodores to a stunning victory over No. 1 Alabama. That win sparked a 7-6 season—Vanderbilt's first winning campaign in a decade—and a bowl victory over Georgia Tech.
But 2025 was his masterpiece. Pavia went 10-3 as a starter, guiding Vanderbilt to their first-ever 10-win season and their first top-15 ranking since 1948. He threw for 3,539 yards and an SEC-leading 29 touchdown passes, adding 10 more scores on the ground. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second in the Heisman race.
Yet none of that translated into NFL security. The league's quarterback market is brutal, and undrafted free agents face long odds even when they make it to camp. Pavia didn't even get that far.
For context, the Big Ten's recent dominance over the SEC in national perception has made it even harder for SEC quarterbacks to get the benefit of the doubt at the next level. Pavia, for all his college heroics, was seen as a system quarterback who might not fit the pro game.
The Ravens, meanwhile, already have Lamar Jackson locked in as their starter and a stable of young backups competing for spots. Pavia was always a long shot, but getting cut before camp even starts is a stinging reminder of how unforgiving the NFL can be.
As for what's next, Pavia could catch on with another team's practice squad later in the summer, or he might explore opportunities in other leagues. But for now, the Heisman runner-up is an NFL free agent with no camp to attend—a humbling fall for a player who was on top of the college football world just months ago.
