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Diego Pavia is set for his first pre-draft visit

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 4:20 PM ET

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has landed an intriguing pre-draft visit.

Pavia is visiting the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It is the first known visit Pavia has taken with an NFL team outside of the NFL Combine.

#Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, is visiting the #Panthers today, source says.

The 24-year-old helped Vandy to its first win over a top-5 team in program history. pic.twitter.com/9fHT9XmhBZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 7, 2026

Pavia is not regarded as a top prospect, so it is interesting to see the Panthers use a visit on him. Bryce Young remains the team’s starting quarterback and that is unlikely to change, so Pavia would likely be a late-round backup option if the Panthers really wanted him.

Pavia is considered undersized for a quarterback, which limits his ceiling. There are also concerns about his maturity, though he has somewhat tried to minimize those.

Still, Pavia was a Heisman Trophy finalist who threw for 3,539 yards with Vanderbilt last season. He will likely get the chance to latch on somewhere, and it may be with the Panthers.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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