Diego Pavia has never felt out of place at quarterback. New Mexico Military to New Mexico, and eventually to Vanderbilt, where he powered the program to one of its greatest seasons, he played as he belonged there. Now, as he eyes the NFL challenge, the belief is the same, but there is a challenge, but only this time it’s out of his hands. It’s less to do with the competition and more to do with physics. Believed to be 6-foot-0, he got officially measured and is actually standing at 5-foot-9 7/8. And these inches of difference have sparked a debate on his NFL future.

“To me, Diego Pavia was the best overall quarterback at the Senior Bowl this week. Has some serious limitations due to his size, but he can run the offense, finds a way to make plays, and has a solid arm. He’s also got some attitude to him. Might not make it to the NFL, but he has heart,” Chad Jensen reported in his X post.

That pretty much sums up all of Pavia experience. He showed leadership and completed throws, but the measuring tape soon became a part of the story. Pavia is at the foothills of battling a stereotype that has plagued him throughout his career. But if you ask Pavia, size has never defined him.

“God blessed me with 5-9 and 7/8,” Pavia said. “I want to show every team that whoever I’m blessed enough to go to, you’re going to get someone who’s a winner. I’ve been blessed enough to never have a losing season of football ever in my life, and I don’t plan on it ever happening.

“That’s what you’re going to get out of me. You’re going to get someone who’s great in the locker room, great with the teammates and who’s going to push the team and make sure that we are winning. I think that’s what the ultimate competitor does.”

That confidence is built on production. As a 2025 Heisman runner-up, he didn’t just manage games; he led them. He also led the SEC in impact while packing the stat sheet with more with 4,000 total yards. And that edge showed up all week in Mobile, from practice reps to his Senior Bowl start. Pavia started for the National team and went 10-for-13 passing for 78 yards.

Also, while the draft rooms might fixate on the ‘5-foot-9’ headline, there is another measurement that can be taken as a saving grace for Pavia. His hands measured a decent 9.5 inches, and this is significant because there are fellow prospects like Garrett Nussmeier who, despite standing nearly four inches taller than Pavia, have shorter hands. This factor can come into play in the draft process.

Now comes the tough part. Shorter QBs like Kyler Murray and Bryce Young have already had mixed results in the NFL, and history isn’t kind to QBs under 5-10. If Pavia gets it right, he might become the league’s shortest QB since the 1960s.

Diego Pavia embraces the doubt

The sudden obsession with something about Diego Pavia’s height has gotten louder, and even former players are stepping in. One Hall of Fame player chose to strike back as critics continue to focus on his frame. Chase Daniel, a former QB for the Saints who has experience in getting overlooked, strongly supported Pavia.

“Is he polarizing? Sure. Is he a winner? Absolutely,” Daniel said, speaking from experience as a so-called undersized quarterback himself.

And Daniel’s backing isn’t empty talk. Despite never being a highlight-reel star, he built a respected NFL career by being tough and well-prepared. He was a 2007 Heisman finalist as well, so he knows what it takes to make it when the spotlight goes and the real grind starts. Now, Pavia finds himself in the same space.

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Draft rooms will debate his frame. But Pavia isn’t backing down.

“I just want to show it don’t matter what size you are,” Pavia told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog. You know what I mean? So that’s who I am. That’s what I’ll forever be.”

His Senior Bowl week may have been bittersweet, but he’s surely daring the NFL to bet against him.