The Baltimore Ravens have moved on from Diego Pavia before training camp even gets rolling, waiving the former Vanderbilt quarterback to clear a spot for veteran center Ethan Pocic, according to a report from Ian Rapoport and a Ravens release on Thursday.
Pavia had been in the mix for Baltimore’s No. 3 quarterback job, competing with veteran Skylar Thompson and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnono out of UConn. Instead, his first shot with the Ravens ends before the real competition begins.
The timing is notable because Baltimore brought Pavia in quickly after the 2026 NFL Draft. He was signed to a 3-year deal ahead of a scheduled workout, a sign the Ravens wanted to take a close look at him after his breakout season at Vanderbilt.
That season was the one that put Pavia on the national map. He helped Vanderbilt to the best finish in program history, leading the Commodores to 10 wins while throwing for 3,539 yards and 28 touchdowns. That performance earned him a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, and he became the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since 2014.
Pavia’s path to the league was always going to be unusual, and the biggest obstacle was never his production. His size was the issue. He measured 5-foot-9 at the combine, a number that put him below the standard for most NFL backups, let alone starters.
Now he’s back on the market and trying to land on an NFL roster before preseason opens on August 6.
In Other News...
Clark Lea Just Sent A Powerful Message About Vanderbilt Leadership
Clark Lea used his SEC Media Days platform to make sure Vanderbilts leadership got as much attention as his football program. The Commodores coach spoke glowingly about athletic director Candice Storey Lee, pointing to the direction she has given the department and the standard she has set across campus. It was the kind of public endorsement that says as much about the culture around a program as any depth chart update.
Storey Lees profile has only grown after being named Athletic Director of the Year for the 2025-26 academic year by the Sports Business Journal, and Vanderbilts recent run under her watch has given Lea plenty of reason to be vocal. The department has stacked up historic success in multiple sports, and it has also secured long-term stability by extending four head coaches, including Lea. For a school that has spent years trying to build something sturdier, that kind of alignment matters. [Read more 🡒]
Clark Lea Just Addressed Vanderbilts Biggest Post-Pavia Question
Clark Lea spent part of SEC Media Days looking back at how far Vanderbilt has come, and it is a pretty striking climb. The Commodores followed a 2-10 season two years ago with a 7-6 step forward before breaking through for a school-record 10 wins last year, a run that has changed the tone around the program and raised the standard for what comes next. Lea said the work is still about building the best football program possible, and he pointed to athletic director Candice Storey Lee as a central figure in the turnaround.
The bigger question now is how Vanderbilt handles life after Diego Pavia, last seasons SEC Player of the Year and the engine of so much of that success. Lea acknowledged the challenge of moving forward without him, which is the kind of transition that can define whether a breakthrough is a one-year spike or the start of something sturdier. For a program that has spent the last two seasons reshaping its identity, the next step is proving it can keep pushing even as the face of the offense moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Clark Lea Just Raised The Stakes On Vanderbilt's Breakthrough
As Vanderbilt turns its attention toward 2026, Clark Lea is making clear the program no longer sees itself as a feel-good story built on a hot stretch or a single breakout star. The head coach pointed to the infrastructure and culture around the team as reasons for his confidence, and he said this group has the deepest roster he has assembled in his tenure, a sign the Commodores believe their rise is becoming more than a one-year burst.
That belief is showing up inside the locker room, too, where the expectations are getting bigger along with the profile. Issa Ouattara and Sedrick Alexander have both spoken openly about wanting the biggest prizes available, and that kind of ambition only adds to the pressure on a program that now has to prove its breakthrough was the start of something lasting rather than a one-off run. [Read more 🡒]