This past weekend, the Heisman trophy was awarded for the 2025 College Football season, and the winner was No. 1 Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. This was no surprise to most, as he led the FBS in touchdown passes, guided the Hoosiers to an undefeated 13-0 record, won the BIG Ten title, and secured the No. 1 ranking in the CFP.
While the result wasn’t a surprise to most, the runner-up didn’t handle it well at first, that of course being Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. Pavia led the Commodores to a 10-2 record, and as a result, he became one of the biggest stars of college football this season. His moxie and confidence gave fans a sense of nostalgia, as it felt like watching another version of Johnny Manziel throughout the year. Unfortunately, his reaction to the Heisman results made him comparable to Manziel off the field, and not on it.
The stats suggest that Pavia had a real case to win, but as the award seems to have a different criteria every year, it ultimately went to the best quarterback on the best team this season, and Mendoza was the rightful winner.
Pavia remained confident in himself winning, despite the Commodores being on the outside looking in at the playoffs, and when he didn’t win, he had some choice things to say. Here’s how he handled it.
Diego Pavia Not Happy With Heisman Results
Social Media Antics
Pavia has long been recognized for his underdog mindset and the chip on his shoulder. He is outspoken about his confidence in himself and his predictions for Vanderbilt’s performance this year. Him being the competitor that he is, it was well known that he would share his opinion on the Heisman results at some point; the manner in which he did so sparked considerable controversy.
Pavia posted an Instagram story after the ceremony, featuring him and some of his Vanderbilt teammates. The story was captioned, “F— all the voters, but family for life.” On top of this, a video surfaced of Pavia at a nightclub after; the footage panned from Pavia to a bottle sign that said “F— Indiana,” then back to Pavia.
Pavia faced significant criticism for his actions, including from his own Athletic Director. Vanderbilt’s Athletic Director issued a statement to the Tennessean, saying, “Diego knows his actions were unacceptable and has apologized. I know he is contrite and regrets the hurt he caused. He is a passionate and authentic competitor, and while his authenticity has been nurtured and celebrated here, it does not change the responsibility that comes with representing Vanderbilt University”.
There’s a ton to love about Pavia and what he did for college football this season, but to go on social media to voice explicit and disrespectful opinions takes away from how great he’s been this year.
Pavia’s Apology
Realizing his actions were inappropriate, Pavia took to social media to apologize. He expressed gratitude for attending the Heisman ceremony and admitted that experiencing such a close encounter with a lifelong dream was painful. He specifically stated, “I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process.”
Pavia also commended Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and the other finalists, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. Pavia stated that Mendoza is also an elite competitor and was very deserving of the award. “I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season”.
Diego Pavia Moving Forward
While the Heisman ceremony is very important to each player involved, it’s time for Diego to move on, as he seems to be doing in his apology post. He pointed out that his actions are distracting from what really matters—the game on the field. Pavia and the Commodores still have one more game this season to finish strong, as they face the No. 23 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Main Image: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
