Skip Bayless says Diego Pavia ‘deserved’ Heisman Trophy over Fernando Mendoza
By Mark Kern
Published:
Skip Bayless has been screaming his praise for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia over the last two seasons. And lately Bayless, a graduate from Vanderbilt in 1974, has been clamoring for Pavia to win the Heisman Trophy.
On Saturday night, Pavia finished second in the 2025 race, as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the award.
It didn’t take long for Bayless to issue a response. He went to social media right after Mendoza was announced as the winner to continue his support for Pavia.
“Congrats to Fernando Mendoza … nice memorized, rehearsed speech,” Bayless posted on X. “But Diego Pavia deserved this award for his performance on the field, even if his swagger and edge rubbed some voters and viewers the wrong way.”
Mendoza had 643 first-place votes and 2,632 points, while Pavia was far behind with 189 first-place votes and 1,435 total points. The other two candidates in New York were Jeremiyah Love and Julian Sayin, who finished third and fourth, respectively.
Pavia helped lead Vanderbilt to the greatest 2-year stretch in school history. Last year, the Commodores knocked off Alabama and won their first bowl game since 2013. This season, Pavia led the team to its first-ever 10-win regular season, with the only losses being at Alabama and Texas.
While the Commodores didn’t make the College Football Playoff, the team did accept a bowl invitation to take on Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve. That will allow Bayless to have one final opportunity to watch his guy.
