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While Fernando Mendoza revels in his Heisman Trophy victory as he prepares for the Indiana Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff run, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, one of the Heisman finalists, is unhappy with the way voters reached their result Saturday night.
Pavia, the Commodores’ veteran signal-caller, was direct about how he felt about Mendoza’s victory in New York City.
While posting a photo with some of his Commodores teammates on his Instagram Stories, Pavia expressed his opinion about voters.
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Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores speaks during a press conference prior to the presentation of the 2025 Heisman Trophy at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 13, 2025 in New York City. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
“Fuck all the voters,” he wrote with a thumbs-down emoji. “But… family for life.”
Pavía, 23, finished in second place, although he was a distant after receiving 189 first-place votes compared to 643 votes for Mendoza.
INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY
On Sunday night, Pavia apologized on X.
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was a great honor. As a competitor, like in everything I do, I wanted to win,” he wrote. “Coming so close to my dream and falling short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and I didn’t represent myself the way I wanted to. 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 award winner. I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments, as well as the success Jeremiyah and Julian had this season. They have doubted me my entire life.
“Every step of my journey, I had to kick down doors and fight for myself, because I learned that nothing would be handed to me. My family has always been on my side, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them, I’m grateful for them, and I wouldn’t want anything to distract me from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team once again in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten Championship victory over Ohio State to remain undefeated, placing them in first place overall in the College Football Playoff.
However, Mendoza’s detractors noted that he only had 2,980 passing yards, although he threw a Big Ten-leading 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions thrown in 13 games. Mendoza also added six rushing touchdowns on 69 attempts.
Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander (28) celebrates with quarterback Diego Pavia (2) after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Meanwhile, 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 passing yards and nine rushing scores as well. He rushed for 826 yards on 152 attempts.
However, Pavia’s reaction to the voting results is not a huge surprise, as he has always been confident in himself to the point of continuing to tell voters to send him to New York City because he felt he deserved the Heisman.
Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores poses with the Heisman Memorial Trophy prior to the presentation of the 2025 Heisman Trophy at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 13, 2025 in New York City. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
“The Heisman Trophy winner goes to the best player in college football,” Pavia said on OutKick’s “Hot Mic.” “I think to be myself, you check the numbers, and especially there are two things that don’t lie to you: the numbers and the tape. I’ve been taught that since I was young, you’ve got to check that. I feel like I’m hands down the best player in college football.”
Vanderbilt went 10-2 that year, ranking 14th nationally at the end of the season.
