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Diego Pavia Caps Vanderbilt Surge With Heisman Finalist Nod and Senior Bowl Bid

Next comes the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 followed by a Senior Bowl audition for NFL scouts.

Overview

  • Pavia became Vanderbilt’s first Heisman Trophy finalist after steering a 10–2 regular season that included four wins over ranked opponents.
  • He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and received AP honors as the league’s top offensive player, while coach Clark Lea earned Coach of the Year.
  • He accepted an invitation to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl, which will be played Jan. 31 in Mobile, Alabama.
  • Vanderbilt is set to face Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31, a matchup expected to be Pavia’s final college game before the draft process.
  • Scouting reports praise his downfield accuracy and mobility but flag size and age concerns, placing him on some boards near No. 96 overall with mid-round projections as his NIL valuation climbs to about $2.5 million.