Vanderbilt QB sets outrageously high bar for 2025 season

Is he right? Probably not. Realistically speaking, it's just probably not going to happen. But this is still awesome and the type of mindset every coach should want from their starting quarterback, as well as every single player on the roster.

If players go into the season hoping to just win five or six games, they're already setting themselves up for failure. Every team wants its quarterback to have belief and try to push everybody else on the roster to be better and reach new levels. That's a big part of being a leader. 

Vanderbilt should also have some higher expectations than normal. 

Not only did the Commodores finish with a winning record in 2025 for the first time in more than a decade, they also cracked the Top 25 at one point, won just the fifth bowl game in program history, beat a No. 1-ranked Alabama team and nearly pulled off upsets against No. 5 Texas and No. 7 Missouri.

Overall, three of their six losses were by four points or fewer, while only two losses were by more than seven points. They were in pretty much every game, even against the top teams on their schedule. 

Pavia was a huge part of that.

He not only had a great year throwing the football, tossing 20 touchdowns to only four interceptions, but he also led the team with 801 yards rushing and scored eight additional rushing touchdowns.

Having a returning, experienced dual-threat quarterback is a huge advantage going into the season.

It might not be enough to win one of the toughest conferences in the country, and almost certainly not the national title, but there is good reason to believe Vanderbilt can at least be a competitive team and improve on its surprising 2024 performance.