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One Heisman Trophy voter isn’t silent after seeing Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s message of finishing second this weekend to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Chase Goodbread of The Tuscaloosa News, who has a Heisman vote, wrote a piece this week about Pavia saying “F— all the voters” after finishing a distant second to Mendoza. Pavia captioned an Instagram story post with a photo of his Commodores teammates.
While Pavia apologized for his initial response to the loss in New York City, Goodbread was not impressed with what Pavia had to say.
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Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores poses with the Heisman Memorial Trophy before the 2025 Heisman Trophy presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 13, 2025 in New York City. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
“He’s a big boy now,” Goodbread wrote in his column. “Old enough to have more than one college degree. Old enough to take the NCAA to court for extra eligibility, and old enough to make the pile of NIL money that came with it. Old enough to know better. And old enough to handle some criticism.
“That was a punk move, Diego. This voter wasn’t sitting right next to Mendoza on Saturday night, but at least my congratulations to him are genuine.”
Goodbread added that Pavia’s behavior was “smart”, saying: “After 6 years in college, you’d think Pavia would have signed up for at least one course in humility by now.”
DIEGO PAVIA’S OUTLAW AGAINST HEISMAN VOTERS WAS ‘UNACCEPTABLE,’ VANDERBILT SAYS
Mendoza finished with 643 first-place votes to Pavia’s 189.
Vanderbilt’s athletic director released a statement Monday following Pavia’s comment.
“Diego knows his actions were unacceptable and he has apologized,” athletic director Candice Lee said in a statement to The Tennessean on Monday. “I know he is remorseful and regrets the harm he has 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.
“We believe in growth and accountability, and we will continue to support Diego as he learns from this moment.”
Pavia later apologized for his comments to X.
Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores warms up before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium November 29, 2025 in Knoxville, Tenn. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
“I did not handle these emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to,” he wrote in a statement. “I have a lot of love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake and I’m sorry.
“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award. I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiah [Love] and Julian [Sayin] had this season. I’ve had doubts all my life,” he wrote.
“Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself because I’ve learned that nothing was going to be given to me. My family has always been in my corner and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them – I’m grateful for them – and I don’t want anything to distract from that. I’m looking forward to competing with my family and my family one more time.”
Pavia, playing in his second season at Vanderbilt after starting at New Mexico State, led the SEC with a 71.2% completion rate with 27 touchdowns, 3,192 yards passing and nine rushing scores. He rushed for 826 yards on 152 attempts.
However, Pavia’s reaction to the vote results was not much of a shock. He has always been confident to the point where he kept telling voters to send him to New York City because he felt he deserved the Heisman.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia throws to an open teammate against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 9, 2024. (Imagn)
“The winner of the Heisman Trophy goes to the best player in college football,” Pavia said on OutKick’s “Hot Mic.” “I believe it’s myself. You check the numbers, and especially — there’s two things that don’t lie to you: Numbers and tape. I’ve learned that since I was young. You go check it out. I feel like I’m arguably the best player in college football.”
Vanderbilt had a 10–2 record on the year and was ranked 14th nationally at the end of the regular season.
