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The Baltimore Ravens have opened the door for polarizing undrafted quarterback Diego Pavia to compete for a spot on the team after the team signed him to a contract.
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter put the ball in Pavie’s hands to build the final roster before the end of the summer.
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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia leaves the field against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the second half at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on August 30, 2025. (Steve Roberts/Imagn Images)
“So now he’s at the door and he’s saying, ‘Show us what you can do,'” Minter told reporters Saturday via ESPN. “And like all undrafted rookies, that’s what I would say.”
Pavie will likely be competing for third place on the quarterback depth chart. Former UConn Huskies quarterback Joe Fagnano is also on the list. Lamar Jackson is the starting quarterback and Tyler Huntley is his backup, as of now.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year totaled 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns as he helped put the Commodores back on the map. Vanderbilt was 10-3 last season and nearly made the College Football Playoff.
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Baltimore Ravens coach Jesse Minter attends the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Pavie finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, losing to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza – who would go on to become the No. 1 pick in the draft. Pavie was also in the draft pool, but the teams’ failure to select him during the three-day event sparked an unfortunate story.
When Pavia finished second to Mendoza, he lambasted the Heisman Trophy voters.
“F-All the voters,” he wrote with a thumbs-down emoji. “But… a family for life.”
He later apologized for the outburst on social media.
The ex-Vandy star was the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since 2014. The last person to enter the category was former Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2013, finishing third in voting.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia holds up a heart symbol as he leaves the game against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on November 22, 2025. (Steve Roberts/Imagn Images)
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“(Pavia has) had experiences that allowed him to learn and improve. I don’t think anyone can argue with that,” Minter said. “But when you talk to the people inside this building (at Vanderbilt) and what he represents as a player, he shows up early every day and works really hard.”
