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‘I Do Wish I Could Play for Coach Prime’ — Heisman Runner-Up Diego Pavia Regrets Not Playing for NFL Legend Deion Sanders

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia reflected on a missed opportunity to play under NFL legend Deion Sanders, who coached at Jackson State when Pavia was a junior college prospect. Pavia, who finished as the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up, admitted he sometimes regrets not joining Sanders’ program, crediting the coach’s early scholarship offer with opening doors for his college career.

After declining Sanders’ offer to avoid sitting behind Shedeur Sanders at Jackson State, Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt, where he threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2025, earning second-place Heisman votes—the first Vanderbilt quarterback to reach the final. His standout season included a 94.8 PFN QB Impact Grade, the highest in the nation, though he went undrafted in 2026 and briefly played for the Baltimore Ravens before being waived.

Pavia, now a digital content creator, attended Colorado’s recent game against Utah at Folsom Field to support Sanders, who now leads the Buffaloes amid a 2-3 start to the season. The matchup tested Colorado’s rebuilt transfer defense, which struggled against Utah’s efficient offense, while Sanders seeks to avoid a repeat of last year’s 53-7 loss to the Utes.

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