Jan. 31, 2026, 6:54 p.m. ET
Diego Pavia has never felt out of place as a quarterback in football.
While playing for New Mexico Military, Pavia believed he could play Division I football.
After transferring to New Mexico, Pavia believed he could play in the Power Four.
And following his stint with the Vanderbilt Commodores, where he led them to what may have been their greatest season in school history, the runner-up for the Heisman Award believes he can be an NFL starter.
But if he is to do that, Pavia will have to do it as the shortest QB in all of the NFL.
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While he was listed at 6-foot on the official Vanderbilt website, that illusion was shattered this past week at the Senior Bowl, where he was officially measured.
Pavia was given a height of 5-foot-9, which would put him below the likes of Kyler Murray and Bryce Young in terms of stature.
Although that would bother most players and raise doubts, Pavia has come off the Senior Bowl feeling re-energized and excited to prove he should be taken in the upcoming NFL Draft, regardless of what the measurements might say.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN, he talked about how he had been overlooked his entire life in football, and it never once stopped him. When his height was brought up in the context of being drafted, he fired back by asking when the last time an SEC Player of the Year had not been selected in the NFL Draft.
During his final season at Vanderbilt, he totaled over 4,000 yards of scrimmage through the air and ground. He threw for over 3,500 yards and ran for 862 with an overall total of 39 touchdowns.
As we move into pro days and the combine, Pavia will continue to have inquiries about his height and size, but so far, it hasn’t bothered him.
Pavia climbed to the top of college football by playing for a military school in New Mexico.
The SEC to the NFL? In comparison, that’s easy.