Vanderbilt QB says he will return under one big condition

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) hoists the MVP trophy after defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia says he will return next season under one big condition

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 10:19 PM ET

Thanks to a 35-27 win over Georgia Tech in Friday's Birmingham Bowl, the Vanderbilt Commodores completed their most successful football season in a decade with a 7-6 record. That season not only included a bowl game win (its first since the 2013 season) but also a massive upset win over then-No. 1 ranked Alabama.

Transfer quarterback Diego Pavia was a huge part of that success, accounting for 28 touchdowns, including five (three passing, two rushing) in Friday's bowl win. He also threw just four interceptions all season.

The good news for Vanderbilt is that Pavia wants to return to the program for the 2025 season.

He just has one condition on that potential return — he wants the entire coaching staff brought back.

Diego Pavia confirms that he will be back at Vanderbilt next year as long as the coaching staff stays in place
— Aria Gerson (@aria_gerson) December 28, 2024

Pavia was a transfer to Vanderbilt this season after spending the past few seasons at New Mexico State and followed several of his former coaches — including Tim Beck and Jerry Kill — to the program. It was not an NIL situation where he ended up going to the highest bidder. He went because he was comfortable with the coaches, and he apparently wants to continue that relationship for one more year.

Friday's game would have been Pavia's final college game, but he recently won a lawsuit against the NCAA that earned him an extra year of eligibility. After Pavia sued the NCAA, it granted JUCO transfers — like Pavia — an additional year of eligibility if they played one or more seasons at a non-NCAA college.

Clark Lea is Vanderbilt's current head coach, and while his overall record is only 16-33, the 2024 season was a massive step forward from 2023's two-win performance.

Along with the wins over Georgia Tech in the bowl game and Alabama, Vanderbilt was also extremely competitive against several other top-ranked teams throughout the season. It lost to then-No. 7 ranked Missouri by just three points the week before beating Alabama and also lost to then-No. 5 Texas by only three points.

It was able to hang in with some of the elite programs in the country and even beat one of them.

It also has a chance to bring back an experienced quarterback who has proven he can be an impact player and lead the Commodores to levels they have rarely reached. Bringing everybody back for one more run seems like it should be an easy decision for the school.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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