After the Ravens dumped him in July, Diego Pavia spent months flirting with content creation, livestreaming, and hanging around college football programs. But going from a Heisman runner-up to chasing views at 24 wasn’t exactly the career anyone expected. And just when it seemed Pavia was settling into life away from the field, the polarizing quarterback made it clear he wasn’t ready to let his football career die without another fight.

On October 20, Pavia revealed his next move on X. With his agent Malki Kawa involved, the former Vanderbilt star was now negotiating a return to professional football through the United Football League (UFL).

“Appreciate everyone reaching out with everything on my career. My agent @malkikawa and the UFL are currently in negotiations to make this happen! Whatever team I end up at, I can promise you one thing: You will get everything I got 💯,” Pavia wrote on X.

The announcement comes after a frustrating end to an otherwise remarkable college career. Pavia led Vanderbilt to a historic 10-win season, finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up after accounting for 4,401 total yards and 39 touchdowns in 2025. He led the SEC in completion percentage (70.6%), passing touchdowns (29), and yards per attempt (9.4). Yet none of that convinced a single NFL team to draft him.

At just under 5-foot-10, Pavia was already fighting an uphill battle in a league that heavily values quarterback size. Add his age and the maturity concerns surrounding his profanity-laced outburst after losing the Heisman to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and his college dominance wasn’t enough to overcome questions about his NFL potential.

He eventually signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, but even that opportunity didn’t last. Despite participating in offseason practices and mandatory minicamp, Baltimore waived him on July 23, before training camp began. He never even got the chance to appear in an NFL preseason game.

And here’s where Pavia’s career takes another ironic turn. Just four days before announcing his UFL plans, he admitted wishing he could play for Deion Sanders, Colorado’s $10 million-a-year head coach, whose offer he rejected years earlier. Sanders had previously offered Pavia an opportunity at Jackson State, but the quarterback reportedly turned it down because he would have been stuck behind Shedeur Sanders on the depth chart.

During a Twitch livestream from Boulder on October 16, Pavia admitted, “I do wish I could, you know, play for Coach Prime. I feel like when you get offered in football, more offers come. So, in a way, I wouldn’t be here without Coach Prime’s offer. So, I came to support him, his team.”

But wishing he could play for Sanders and actually having that opportunity are two different things. With his college eligibility exhausted, returning to college football isn’t an option. That leaves the UFL as a potential route back into professional competition.

The timing couldn’t be better. The UFL’s 15-round draft is scheduled for November 18 in St. Louis, with the first two rounds airing on NFL Network. Under the league’s updated eligibility rules, Pavia’s stint with Baltimore could qualify him for selection, although his participation has not yet been formally confirmed.

One possible destination is the Columbus Aviators, who hold the No. 1 overall pick. A Heisman runner-up with 10,255 career passing yards, 3,094 rushing yards, and 119 total touchdowns would certainly bring attention to the league. However, negotiations are still ongoing, and no team has secured his services.

For Pavia, this is about more than finding another place to play. The NFL passed on him despite his impressive college résumé, and Baltimore couldn’t find a place for him beyond offseason practices.

Now, the UFL could give him a chance to challenge those evaluations.