As Vanderbilt started training camp, Diego Pavia set the bar for the 2025 season. He said the Commodores’ goal was to win a national championship. Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show Wednesday, he doubled down. Pavia said since NIL “evened the playing field” in some ways, Vanderbilt can go against everyone. Pavia’s confidence in his […]
As Vanderbilt started training camp, Diego Pavia set the bar for the 2025 season. He said the Commodores’ goal was to win a national championship.
Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show Wednesday, he doubled down. Pavia said since NIL “evened the playing field” in some ways, Vanderbilt can go against everyone.
Pavia’s confidence in his team was clear as he prepares for his second season at Vanderbilt. He said the Commodores have some of the top players in the country, and he’d say so at nearly every position on the field.
“NIL evened the playing field for a lot of teams,” Pavia said. “We feel like we’ve got, offensively and defensively, our A-game vs. anyone’s, I like my team.
“You ask me who the best wide receiver in the country is, I’m gonna tell you someone on my team. You ask me who the best o-lineman is, I’m gonna tell you someone on my team. Same thing with safeties, DBs, everything.”
Pavia provided quite the spark at Vanderbilt last season and led the Commodores to a 7-6 record after transferring from New Mexico State. He threw 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.
Diego Pavia on title hopes: ‘I wasn’t cracking a joke’
Because he started his college career at the junior college level, a judge granted him another year of eligibility to return for 2025. He’s part of a group of returning production that also includes tight end Eli Stowers, last year’s leading receiver.
However, amid his impressive season in 2024, the Netflix special on the SEC revealed Pavia was dealing with an injury. He’s now recovered from it and ready to get back to game action.
As he worked his way back, Diego Pavia said he saw his teammates start to realize it could be a “different” year in Nashville. He sees the pieces in place to make a run at a title.
“Recovering from that and then being able just to participate in everything for my teammates, they kind of see this year’s just different,” Pavia said. “I think we’ve got the tools – offensively and defensively – to go really put our foot forward and go win a national championship. … I wasn’t cracking a joke. That’s the standard.”
Category: General Sports
