Diego Pavia earned a major award and a significant boost for the Heisman runner-up as he fights for a roster spot with the Baltimore Ravens
18:45 ET, 14 May 2026Updated 18:45 ET, 14 May 2026
Diego Pavia won The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame award
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Diego Pavia won The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame award(Image: Getty)
Diego Pavia's path to an NFL career took a significant turn for the better this week when the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame named the former Vanderbilt quarterback its Male Amateur Athlete of the Year.
The honor comes weeks after one of the roughest stretches of Pavia's football journey. The Heisman Trophy runner-up and SEC Offensive Player of the Year went undrafted through all seven rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, a slide that prompted an outpouring of social media commentary about his height, attitude and arm strength.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame award, which honors excellence in sport and character, does not erase those weeks, but it shifts the conversation back to what Pavia did at Vanderbilt, which was historic by any reasonable measure. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs issued a public "come-and-get-me" plea to an NFL team after his Patriots exit.
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He completed 267-of-378 passes for 3,539 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025, adding 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Pavia also set a Vanderbilt school record for single-game passing yardage against Kentucky and twice tied the school record with five passing touchdowns in a game.
He helped deliver the program's first 10-win season in its history and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
Diego Pavia has been challenged to prove himself in Baltimore
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Diego Pavia has been challenged to prove himself in Baltimore(Image: Getty)
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame chairman Harold Graeter said in announcing the honorees: "This year's Achievement Award honorees reflect the very best of Tennessee's rich sports tradition — from legends who've inspired generations to rising stars making their mark on the national stage."
The recognition coincides with Pavia beginning his professional career. The Baltimore Ravens signed him to a three-year undrafted free-agent deal following the draft, giving him a genuine opportunity to compete for the third-string quarterback role behind Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley.
His projected rookie salary sits between $885,000 and just over $1 million if he makes the active roster, a significant step down from the nearly $2.5 million in NIL earnings he generated during his final Vanderbilt season.
Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores speaks at the NFL Combine
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Diego Pavia went undrafted(Image: Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter acknowledged the off-field turbulence Pavia has navigated while also speaking to the qualities that drew the franchise to him.
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"He's had some experiences that are learning experiences that he could learn from and be better from," Minter said. "But when you talk to the people inside that building at Vanderbilt and what he's about as a player, he is showing up early every day and working really hard."
The quarterback competition in Baltimore is real. Pavia will contend with Skylar Thompson, who has previous NFL experience, and Joe Fagnano.
Pavia's ceiling is arguably the highest of the three, but converting that ceiling into a roster spot will require the disciplined, team-first approach that some scouts questioned during the pre-draft process.