ESPN college football announcer Rece Davis admitted on Wednesday night that he regrets his 2025 Heisman Trophy vote.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Pavia, who is wrapping up his college career, was not happy with the voting results. He called out the voters in a scathing rant on social media.
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“F-All THE VOTERS,” Pavia wrote Saturday night on his Instagram Story with a thumbs-down emoji, “BUT…..FAMILY FOR LIFE.”
Pavia has since apologized for his behavior.
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Rece Davis on the ESPN Gameday set at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Pavia released an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry. Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award,” he stated.
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“I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season. I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me. My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them — I am grateful for them. — and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
But one ESPN announcer regrets his vote
Davis, who voted for Pavia to win, admitted on the latest edition of the College GameDay Podcast that he regrets his vote.
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“Heisman gets a lot of talk, and I don’t want to wrap this up by piling on Diego Pavia because he apologized for his post-Heisman behavior and understandably so,” Davis said. “I didn’t feel like he owed the voters an apology. He can say whatever he wants to them. As a voter, I saw some people who took umbrage with that but I did not. He could say what he wants.”
“But the one thing that his behavior, even with the apology included and accepted, did for me was that it made me regret my Heisman vote. I voted for Diego Pavia because I know what the history of Vanderbilt is. I thought he was the most dynamic player. I’m predisposed in Heisman voting to vote for guys who create ‘wow’ moments.”
It’s the second time Davis has regretted his vote.
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“I’ve voted for the Heisman for 20-something years,” he said. “I’ve only regretted my vote two times: One time it was because of on the field and I was unfair in my judgment toward a person. In my effort to be fair, I ended up being unfair to the person I should have voted for. This one was different. I regretted the vote because after Pavia’s behavior in the aftermath, I was like ‘Man, I’m glad he didn’t win.’ I’m glad he didn’t win. That’s not the way you should feel about a player as great as Pavia is on the field.”
This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.