“I write my own path,” Diego Pavia wrote in a deleted Instagram Story after going undrafted. Now, it seems like he’s already making his way into football, away from the NFL.
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“I’m thankful for what I’ve been through. My journey is not done,” Pavia said during his appearance on Darius Sanders’ YouTube channel. “I plan on doing some UFL. If everything goes smooth, I’m planning on bringing some teammates with me. And besides that, man, I’m here to support guys around the world. If they need help, they can reach out to me. I’ll be at a lot of games. So, I’m just here to have fun.”
The UFL will host its 2027 draft on November 18 in St. Louis, and the player pool will include 2027 NFL Draft-eligible rookies and players from the class of 2023-26, provided they were on the NFL’s roster since June 13, 2026. Thankfully, the Baltimore Ravens signed him to a three-year deal before waiving him in July.
To make things easier for Pavia, UFL owner Mike Repole has already welcomed the Heisman Trophy finalist. He suggested that he’d “sign him tomorrow and start him this weekend” if the young quarterback was interested.
According to Pat McAfee, it would be a win-win scenario for both Pavia and the UFL. He claimed the UFL averages 800,000 viewers per game. But with a star like Pavia, who turned Vanderbilt into a football school, in the league, the viewership numbers would certainly increase.
Even Ben DiNucci supported Diego Pavia entering the UFL.
“If I was Diego Pavia and still want to play football I would call the CFL and TheUFL immediately,” the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback wrote. “No better way to shut people up and show them you’re serious about playing. Just have to go play somewhere at this point. I could see him having similar career to Doug Flutie up north.”
However, during his visit to Boulder ahead of the Colorado-Utah game, Pavia expressed his desire to play under Deion Sanders’ guidance. Going live on Twitch, Pavia shared his wish before confessing that he wouldn’t be in the football world without Coach Prime’s offer. After coming out of Albuquerque, Pavia went on to win the 2021 junior college national title at New Mexico Military Institute. Following that, Coach Prime offered him a spot at Jackson State. But Pavia stayed back, knowing that he’d stay as a backup over there.
Nevertheless, things could go pretty smoothly at UFL for Pavia. Daniel Rios of EssentiallySports claimed that the young quarterback would immediately become one of the spring league’s starting quarterbacks. He’d have a story similar to Birmingham Stallions’ starter, Matt Coral. Meanwhile, Pavia’s unique playstyle could become the face value in the UFL, even though the NFL teams couldn’t accommodate it.
Nevertheless, for Pavia, it’s a massive step to build a storyline for his sister, Abrielle Pavia. Right now, Abrielle is a basketball point guard at Albuquerque High School (class of 2029). With multiple NCAA Division I offers, she could certainly learn a few things from her brother’s struggles.
“I got a little sister, too. I wanna support her in every way I can,” Pavia said. “I wanna show her the grind of how I made it. How I made it to some of the biggest stages in college athletics. So, that’s what I’m here for.”
Pavia’s bold pivot to the UFL proves that an NFL rejection won’t stop the ultimate football underdog. With league executives already welcoming him with open arms, the former Vanderbilt star is primed to turn the spring league into his personal redemption tour.