Published October 21, 2026 09:49 AM
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, currently is a man without a team. That will apparently be changing in 2027.
Pavia said on Tuesday night that he plans to join the UFL.
"[M]y agent . . . and the UFL are currently in negotiations to make this happen!” Pavia tweeted. "[W]hatever team I end up at, I can promise you one thing- You will get everything I got.”
Pavia signed with the Ravens after going undrafted in April. He was cut just before the opening of training camp.
The UFL draft is set for November 18. The Columbus Aviators hold the first pick, followed by the new, to-be-named team in Colorado. Which was relocated from Dallas, after the Dallas franchise was swapped with Houston.
Pavia’s presence could give the UFL the boost it needs, from a ratings and P.R. perspective. Still, the UFL needs to do plenty more work to get to where it wants to be. It needs to work harder, and it needs to work smarter. On Sunday, for example, the spring league announced — during NFL games — that the team relocated from Birmingham to Rhode Island will be named the Breakers.
Regardless of the existing depth chart at the position, every team should want Pavia. He’ll sell tickets. He’ll create buzz. He’ll help the UFL be something more than a collection of unknowns and marginally recognizable names.
Along the way, Pavia will get the kind of opportunities that could, if maximized, secure an opportunity in the NFL. Like plenty of other UFL players have done.