The face of college football is a 24-year-old journeyman who had a grand total of zero Division 1 scholarship offers coming out of high school.
Back then, when he was considered too small to play the position, and some would argue that’s still the case, Diego Pavia ultimately decided to play at New Mexico Military Institute. He joined the team as a walk on, largely because that was the only way his football career could continue.
On Saturday afternoon, years later, Pavia officially inserted him square into the Heisman conversation after dominating LSU, a team that Vanderbilt has rarely dominated.
In doing so, Pavia didn’t only end the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes; he made it known that Vanderbilt—yes, Vanderbilt—is very much alive to factor in the SEC and beyond.
Against LSU, Pavia did what he has grown accustomed to doing. He tormented Brian Kelly’s defense with his arm and legs, throwing for 160 yards, rushing for 86 more and scoring three touchdowns.
At the end of the third quarter, after running for a 21-yard touchdown, Pavia couldn’t help himself. He crossed the goal line and struck a Heisman pose. Sometimes, this gesture is overcooked. This one felt just right.
Although his name wasn’t regularly being tossed around when it comes to CFB’s most prestigious award, that’ll change now. Or, at the very least, it should.
As of Saturday night, Pavia was 22/1 to win the Heisman on DraftKings, sitting behind only seven players.
“You can’t watch him play and not realize what a game changer he is,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea told reporters following the game. “There are a lot of good players. There’s only a handful to me that can take a game over, and he’s one of those.”
Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Statistically speaking, Pavia is one of the best quarterbacks in college football. He’s scored 19 touchdowns, accumulated more than 1,500 passing yards and totaled more than 400 rushing yards.
After a breakout season in 2024, one that saw Pavia conquer mighty Alabama in perhaps the biggest moment of the season, the QB has only elevated his game after being granted another year of eligibility.
Looking at the numbers, however, fails to capture Pavia’s true brilliance. He’s cocky, bordering on arrogant. He’s not shy in front of the microphone, and his chaotic playing style—headlined by his ability to keep plays alive with his legs—makes him a unicorn.
He’s a showman. He does backflips. He hangs with celebrities. He talks. Oh, does he talk.
Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At a time when players are encouraged to avoid billboard material at all costs, Pavia has no issue mixing it up. We want the players to showcase their personalities, and he does just that. Even better, he talks just like he plays.
He scrambles, he celebrates, and he wins.
He hasn’t just lifted the Vanderbilt football program. Pavia has become the most electric quarterback to play in the conference since Johnny Manziel.
Let’s put this another way: if he was thriving at Alabama or LSU or Georgia, he would be the biggest name in the sport. As is, he’s approaching another threshold of superstardom, and it’s likely that will only continue to grow.
Undeniably, his journey plays a part. In the SEC, we don’t normally specialize in underdog stories. We specialize in superhumans, many of whom are known before they become a senior in high school.
To see Pavia go from Roswell, New Mexico to a program largely unfamiliar with football success and still thrive the way he has—operating in a body much smaller than pretty every other quarterback in the conference—speaks to both his greatness and his will to win.
Success did not come early or easy. It has been earned in every sense. Along the way, he’s brought an element of fun and electricity to both his individual games and Vanderbilt’s rise.
The biggest stars in the sport don’t always have to be prototype NFL draft picks. In fact, it’s much better when they scratch and claw their way to excellence.
Pavia has earned the right to be the face of college football, and now he’s poised for more. Â
It doesn’t get any easier for Vandy, despite entering Week 9 with a record of 6-1. The Commodores play Missouri, Texas, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee to close out the year.
Suddenly, none of the games feel completely daunting. None feel like sure things. Such is the life of the SEC in 2025.
With Pavia, a few things are certain. The team will fear absolutely nothing, an attitude that begins with their QB, and they will compete in each and every week.
The kid who began his career at New Mexico Military Institute is no longer a kid. He’s older, bigger and wiser. He talks more now, too. He’s a bonafide Heisman candidate and the unexpected star in the sport’s biggest conference.
If you haven’t taken note yet, have no fear. He’ll make sure you won’t miss him next time.
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