After a breakout 2024 season at Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia sought another year of eligibility and filed a lawsuit to make his case. He won. That set the stage for Year 2 in Nashville, though Pavia confirmed this summer he had other suitors. NIL offers came in – including one of more than $4 million from […]
After a breakout 2024 season at Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia sought another year of eligibility and filed a lawsuit to make his case. He won.
That set the stage for Year 2 in Nashville, though Pavia confirmed this summer he had other suitors. NIL offers came in – including one of more than $4 million from an unnamed SEC program, he said on Bussin’ with the Boys in June.
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Ultimately, Pavia chose to stay at Vanderbilt. To Clark Lea, it’s a decision that not only shows how his quarterback carries himself, but also where the program is heading.
“I couldn’t imagine having another person be the quarterback right now,” Lea told Jim Rome. “He’s everything that this program needs. I’ve got such a great relationship with him and and I’ve enjoyed just the the chance to spend another year with him. I was so excited that he won his case. I think it’s obviously good for our program, good for Nashville. It’s good for college football. This guy is the real deal. So much of what you see publicly or externally is that confidence and swagger that we love, but what makes Diego special is his curiosity and how process-driven he is. He’s just a remarkable person. Obviously thrilled to have him.
“Again, I think when we look back on this moment for this program 15 years from now, you’re not going to be able to tell this story without Diego Pavia. So much that has to do with the chip on his shoulder and how he perfectly represents the kind of attitude that we have here at Vanderbilt and also the belief we have and what’s possible here.”
Diego Pavia: Vanderbilt ‘took a chance on me’
Diego Pavia was one of the breakout stars in 2024 at Vanderbilt, throwing for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 716 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. His most notable performance came against Alabama in that October win as he threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns to engineer one of the biggest upsets of the season.
As he reflected on the negotiations with Vanderbilt and what went into his decision to stay, Pavia shared his conversations with Jerry Kill and offensive coordinator Tim Beck about the importance of coming back. They admitted $4 million would stretch the budget thin, but based on the roster in place, the former New Mexico State quarterback said it presented a great situation.
“It was difficult, for sure, because you’ve got Coach Kill and Coach Beck relying on you to come back. But it’s all a money game,” Pavia said on Bussin’ with the Boys. “You’ve got other schools offering you $4 million and they don’t want to pay you $4 million. But like, you took a chance on me, so I understand that. … They told me the things that I wanted to hear, of how they’re going to build the offense, know what receivers we’re going to go get.
“And they were telling me, we can pay you that, but we are not going to have enough money to go get these guys to go throw the ball around. And it just made sense to me, like, man, I value winning over anything else. It was perfect.”
Category: General Sports
