Diego Pavia is turning out to be the guy everyone needs to keep a serious eye on. In Week 6, the QB and his Vanderbilt Commodores pulled off a major upset against the No. 1 Alabama with a 40-35 win.
Advertisement
Pavia didn’t attract much attention coming out of high school, but everyone’s watching now. He commands a $348,000 NIL valuation after signing a deal with Raising Canes just last month.
He has gained over 10k followers on his Instagram and both this number and his NIL value are only going to go up from here.
During his inaugural season with the Commodores, Pavia has been nothing short of spectacular. Things were no different in the thrilling matchup against Alabama.
Pavia showcased his skills by completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. His performance didn’t stop there; he also contributed 57 rushing yards, demonstrating his dual-threat capability.
His ability to make crucial plays was evident as he led the Commodores into their final possession, executing multiple game-winning plays that kept fans on the edge of their seats. However, his road to greatness has not been without its challenges.
From unranked high-schooler to a threat to Alabama
The New Mexico native did not receive any scholarship offers as a recruit in the 2020 class, leading him to pursue a JUCO path before joining New Mexico State in 2022.
Pavia wasnt even ranked as a high school recruit, though he was No. 206 JUCO transfer and the No. 3 JUCO quarterback in the 2022 class, per 247Sports.
After an outstanding season in 2023, Pavia entered the transfer portal and found his way to Nashville, where he is now making headlines, having beaten a top-five-ranked opponent for the first time in Vanderbilt’s history.
Pavia and Vanderbilt will now look to take down Kentucky and secure what would be the program’s second conference win in a season for just the second time since 2019.
