Diego Pavia had taken his fair share of hits in Vanderbilt’s first five games of 2024, but it all appeared to catch up to him when Kentucky defensive lineman De

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - It’s an off-season of optimism for Vanderbilt football, and quarterback Diego Pavia is a big reason for that. Last year, he helped lead the Commodores to their first winning season since 2013, and thanks to his lawsuit against the NCAA, Pavia earned an extra season of eligibility to run it back.

Pavia had one of his worst games of the season against Auburn last year, but a few big plays, along with a stifling defense, propelled Vanderbilt to the win. Pavia finished the contest 9-for-22 with 143 passing yards and just 26 rushing yards but added two important touchdown passes.

Tucked away in the corner of the SEC’s main media room is a stand that you couldn’t see between 4:00 and 4:20 PM Eastern Time. Beyond the crowd that covered the

My favorite football player growing up was Johnny Manziel,” Pavia said. “Just the way he came to the game. He was just different. Electric."

Diego Pavia went from a no-name JUCO player to an SEC big shot whose NCAA lawsuit altered the eligibility landscape.

The seven-episode series, according to Netflix, captures the pressure, pageantry and intensity of SEC football like never before. Viewers will ride along on the team buses, sit in on locker-room speeches, drop in on barbershop banter, and witness the grind it takes to be a D1 athlete in the nation’s most competitive football culture.

Diego Pavia was asked by the media why his star tight end Eli Stowers was back, and he made a joke about the school's donors delivering.