Diego Pavia went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, a turn that caught some people off guard. The Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback entered the week with uncertainty about where he might land, but the outcome still stands out.
He became the first Heisman finalist since Jordan Lynch in 2014 to go completely undrafted. Many scouts pointed to his size as the main issue. He doesn’t fit the mold NFL teams typically look for at quarterback.
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There are also durability concerns tied to how much he scrambles and the hits he absorbs while doing it. That combination left teams passing, and now Pavia has to figure out what comes next.
CFL could be the next move for Diego Pavia
During a recent segment of “CBS Sports HQ,” analyst Emory Hunt brought up the Canadian Football League as a potential landing spot for the young quarterback. Hunt drew a comparison to Doug Flutie, pointing to the similarities in size, style and confidence.
“The CFL,” Hunt said. “I think the league, because of all of the things that are surrounding him, not football related, is why he went undrafted. So he has to go and show people he can play football. The best way to do that, get on the field right away, right out of college, and that is in a Canadian Football League.”
Flutie used success in Canada to work his way back to the NFL, and Hunt thinks Pavia could follow a similar route. Hunt’s suggestion makes sense for someone trying to get back on NFL radars.
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Get to the CFL, prove you can handle the professional game, win consistently and show you belong under center. That kind of production at quarterback gets noticed. If Pavia can pull it off, the door to compete in the NFL could open again.
Last season was about proving what he could lead. Pavia came close to the Heisman, finishing as runner-up after putting together a strong year.
He threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns, helping push Vanderbilt into a different position than usual. Now he has to prove it again, just on a different stage.