Why Diego Pavia was on Colorado football's sideline for Utah game

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The Colorado Buffaloes football program has been notorious for hosting celebrities since Deion Sanders was hired as head coach. While the number of notable figures being on CU's sideline has gone down this season, there was one interesting person on hand for Saturday's loss to Utah.

Former Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia brought his unique personality to Boulder. The runner-up for last year's Heisman Trophy was decked out in Colorado gear for the visit. He appeared to be more of a coach than a bystander. However, Pavia was there to support Sanders, who offered the quarterback a scholarship during his time at Jackson State.

Pavia, who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, joined the Baltimore Ravens before he was cut. This has added speculation to his career and whether he would find a secondary pro route like the CFL or UFL. But Pavia seems to be weighing his options right now and not in a rush to hop back into the game.

"I do wish I could, you know, play for Coach Prime,” Pavia said recently. He also noted the opportunity that could've happened at Jackson State.

What stopped Pavia from committing to Sanders was a bit of "Daddy Ball." Coach Prime made it extremely clear his son, Shedeur Sanders, was the starter and Pavia would be entering a permanent backup situation. His smartest decision was to stay away from Jackson State. The world might never have known how good he was as a dual-threat QB in the SEC.

At the time, the offer was tempting to learn from one of the best Hall of Famer players in football history. In retrospect, being behind Shedeur knowing your role was limited isn't considered growth. Needless to say, it worked out for everyone involved.

Some fans on social media asked about this being a trial run for Pavia to join Sanders' coaching staff. The Buffs have cycled through four starting quarterbacks in the past 18 games. Former five-star Julian Lewis, who was expected to take the keys to CU's offense, was benched. Utah transfer Isaac Wilson has struggled with turnovers, but remains the go-to signal-caller right now.

Could Pavia be an option as a QB coach? Nothing is out of the realm of possibility with Sanders. While it seemed like something Coach Prime would support, Pavia could still refocus and find a team to play for in the future.

Colorado hired Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to work with the quarterbacks. However, he was removed from the program before ever officially settling in Boulder.

Colorado lost 27-24 to Utah in the final seconds on Saturday night. Sanders' team faces Oklahoma State on Saturday and will be looking for the first Big 12 win in over a year.

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