Diego Pavia’s behavior caused backlash on social media.

Diego Pavia and his family have taken a bunch of backlash this year. The Vanderbilt quarterback added to it this week.

Pavia has been at the center of Vanderbilt football’s climb to national relevance. On Saturday, he will have a chance to be recognized as the 91st Heisman Trophy winner.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

On Friday, Mendoza, Pavia, and Sayin arrived in New York ahead of the Heisman Trophy presentation. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native arrived with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea. Pavia, who spent most of this season rewriting Vanderbilt’s record books, is taking significant backlash.

The 23-year-old failed to remove his earbuds and opted for a non-professional handshake.

It should be noted that Diego Pavia spent his Thursday with Special Olympics athletes. He may not do everything according to the book, but he is a good kid.

How Social Media Responded To Diego Pavia

Diego Pavia (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Pavia’s personality has been on center stage during his Heisman trophy run. Not everybody is a fan of it. His path has never been smooth, and it certainly wasn’t this week.

He arrived in New York with other Heisman candidates, but he acted much differently than they did. Not many liked how he acted.

“Pavia with the ‘bro’ handshake. 😂 🤡,” one fan responded.

“Take off the f–king Airpods LMFAO,” a second fan wrote.

“Take the damn earphones out and respect the moment,” a third fan said to Diego Pavia.

“Pavia with his headphones in. Too cool for everyone. Classic. Enjoy your bowl game, loser,” one final fan stated.

If the oddsmakers are right, Diego Pavia won’t be finishing with the Heisman win. However, he won’t finish worse than No. 2 in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting. BetMGM has Pavia on an island at No. 2 in the odds leading up to Saturday’s ceremony.

Pavia had an excellent 2025 season, completing 71.2% of his passes for 3,192 yards. He also had 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He led the Commodores in rushing after adding 826 yards and nine scores on the ground.

The 23-year-old is also first in the conference in passing efficiency, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and yards per pass attempt.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.

From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.