Every year, a couple of players in Mobile feel bigger than their helmets. This week, that distinction fits squarely on quarterback Diego Pavia and cornerback Charles Demmings. They come from non‑blue‑blood settings, they’ve earned their way into the room, and they both sit right on that fine line between future steal and “nice college player who topped out at this level.”
For Pavia, the pros jump off nearly every cut‑up. He’s a gamer in the truest sense, a quarterback who has carried offenses that weren’t built on five‑star linemen and first‑round receivers. His numbers tell one story — efficiency, explosive plays, plus rushing production — but the feel is what keeps NFL eyes on him. He is comfortable in chaos. He slides within the pocket rather than bailing at the first sign of color. He has that short‑memory toughness you want when things go sideways: a bad throw is a bad throw, then it’s gone.
He also offers built‑in schematic flexibility. In a league where offensive coordinators are increasingly willing to lean into quarterback run elements and option looks, Pavia gives you someone who can keep backside defenders honest. He’s not just a scrambler. Designed keeper, zone‑read pull, bootleg with a run‑pass decision attached — all of those live in his toolbox. As a backup in particular, that matters: a coordinator can build a smaller, tailored package around him without overhauling the entire system.
Demmings, on the other hand, brings the kind of on‑ball production you rarely see from a corner at his level. His career at Stephen F. Austin is littered with pass breakups and interceptions, and not just as a stat‑padding exercise. He finds the football, tracks it cleanly, and plays through receivers’ hands with a calm that belies his level of competition. Add in a frame that fits what teams want on the perimeter — height, length, real long speed — and you can see why he made the jump from FCS to this all‑star stage.
Technically, there’s plenty to like. He doesn’t panic when he’s briefly out of phase. He trusts his recovery speed. His transitions at the top of routes are generally smooth, and he shows enough patience not to overcommit to the first move in press. Those details give cornerback coaches clay they can work with.
But both players live with very real cons that Mobile will either soften or underline. For Pavia, the conversation always comes back to size and ceiling. He doesn’t fit the prototype in terms of height and build. In college, that meant the occasional batted ball or throw he simply couldn’t see clearly until late. In the NFL, with bigger linemen and narrower windows, those issues can multiply. His arm, while plenty capable for most throws, does not scream “effortless.” There are intermediate balls, particularly between the numbers, that hang a bit longer than teams would like. When you pair that with his age — a little older than many of his classmates — it raises the question of how much development runway is left.
Demmings faces the inevitable knock that comes for most small‑school corners: who, exactly, did he shut down? Dominating FCS receivers is one thing; lining up across from future pro starters is another entirely. If he looks grabby when the speed ramps up in one‑on‑ones, or if his transitions suddenly look a half‑step slower against SEC and Big Ten wideouts, teams will question how well his game scales. There’s also the matter of physicality. While he’s not allergic to contact, he isn’t a tone‑setter in run support. On Sundays, corners are asked to spill screens, set edges, and finish tackles on bigger backs. If he looks hesitant or light in those moments, it will show.
The beauty, and the cruelty, of this week is that the tape from Mobile will linger in the minds of evaluators almost as much as the film from their college careers. For Pavia, that means every red‑zone session, every third‑down concept, every two‑minute drill is a chance to prove that his combination of poise and playmaking is enough to overcome whatever boxes he doesn’t check. For Demmings, every rep in press, every jump ball along the sideline, every open‑field tackle is an argument that his production wasn’t a product of his conference, but a reflection of a skill set that belongs in the league.
If they hit their marks, both can walk out of Mobile having flipped their narratives from “intriguing question marks” to “we can win with this guy in our building.” And in a draft cycle where jobs and reputations ride on those answers, that’s the kind of week that can change lives.
4 Star Sports Media is proud to partner with the Chris Hope Foundation for all written coverage of the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.
This collaboration supports CHF’s ongoing mission to provide hope and assistance to families facing serious illness, while spotlighting the nation’s top college football talent in Mobile, Alabama. Together, we’re uniting purpose and passion—celebrating excellence both on and off the field throughout Senior Bowl week.
