Although Diego Pavia plans to enter the NFL Draft, he’s keeping the legal fight alive. While his lawsuit challenges an NCAA rule that counts time spent at junior colleges against a player’s Division I eligibility, Pavia becomes the one to pave the way for others in the same spot.

“Attorneys for Diego Pavia and others suing the NCAA regarding JUCO seasons have filed a ‘Memorandum In Support of a preliminary injunction,'” reported senior Fox reporter Trey Wallace.

A lawyer representing Pavia and 26 other players points to the NCAA’s recent decision allowing an NBA draft pick to return to college basketball as a reason a federal judge should let them suit up in 2026 and 2027.

On Wednesday, Baylor made headlines by announcing the addition of center James Nnaji. He is a former first-round NBA draft pick who spent four seasons playing professionally in Europe. That news quickly became entangled in a legal battle.

On Friday, attorney Ryan Downton cited Nnaji’s arrival in a memo filed in a Tennessee federal court, using it to bolster his antitrust case against the NCAA and urging the court to block the enforcement of current eligibility rules.

“They cite James Nnaji, who has enrolled at Baylor, with a holiday poem.”

With the announcement coming on Christmas Eve, Downton even opened his filing with a nod to “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”

“When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but… the hypocrisy of the NCAA granting four years of eligibility to a 21-year-old European professional basketball player with four years of professional experience who was drafted by an NBA team two years ago, reads the filing.

He (Nnaji) will be 25 before he runs out of eligibility. Meanwhile, the NCAA argues to this Court that high school seniors are harmed if a 22- or 23-year-old former junior college player plays one more year of college football.”

In November 2024, Pavia first took the NCAA to court and quickly scored a win, earning a preliminary injunction that allowed him to play this season. Since then, the case has grown, with 26 additional players joining the lawsuit.

The case is now pushing the NCAA’s eligibility rules straight into antitrust territory, with consequences far greater than those affecting Pavia alone.

Under NCAA Bylaw 12.8, athletes are placed on a ticking clock. It’s called the Five-Year Rule. With that, players get five years to compete in four seasons of intercollegiate play. And that window, known as the “eligibility clock,” starts the moment an athlete enrolls full-time at any collegiate institution, regardless of whether that school is an NCAA member.

Interestingly, Pavia’s college journey has taken the long road. While it began at New Mexico Military Institute in 2020, a season wiped clean by the NCAA because of COVID-19, he followed that up by leading the junior college. From there, before transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024, he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at New Mexico State.

Just like that, he spent six years in CFB, but he only played four seasons at the Division I level. And he made the most of it. This season, he led Vanderbilt to the best season in program history, capped by a ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against Iowa.

While that ruling could crack the door open for a seventh season, one question still lingers. If that extra year becomes reality, does he stay at Vanderbilt?

While the courts decide his collegiate future, Pavia is making it clear he’s ready for the next level, even naming his preferred NFL destination.

Diego Pavia’s take on his NFL team preference

Diego Pavia is anything but a simple evaluation. While he’s undersized, the arm talent pops. Add in his mobility, and you get a true dual-threat who can extend plays and punish defenses with his legs. Considering that, projected by many as a Day 2 pick, Pavia recently made his NFL preference crystal clear.

During a stream with popular creator Sketch, he didn’t dodge the question.

“What NFL team do I want to play for? Let me think. Well I got a few options… anywhere that needs a QB, but this is where I’d like to go. Las Vegas Raiders, so I can play with Maxx Crosby,” said Pavia.

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And the fit makes sense, as Las Vegas is searching for answers at QB after a rough season.

Geno Smith has struggled as interceptions piled up. Beyond him, the depth chart features Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell. This is where Pavia could come into play. He is a Heisman finalist who threw for 3,192 yards and accounted for 36 total TDs.

If the Raiders wait on a QB early, don’t be surprised if Pavia’s name starts climbing their board.