Diego Pavia and Theo Von’s unusual friendship came to light a few months ago when Von revealed Pavia had promised him a date with his mother if Vanderbilt beat South Carolina. The date never happened, but it sparked a bond between Von and the Pavia family. Now, with the Heisman ceremony less than 24 hours away, Pavia is teasing a special offer for his longtime friend.

“Diego Pavia says he told Theo Von he could keep the Heisman Trophy in the background of his podcast room if he wins it,” Vanderbilt writer Dylan Tovitz mentioned on X.

Pavia’s generosity comes directly from the playful bet he made with Theo Von. Pavia’s mother, Antoinette Padialla, is a nurse who attended almost every game of her son. In an interview with ESPN’s Cole Cubelic, Diego Pavia revealed he’d jokingly promised Theo Von a date with his mom if Vanderbilt beat South Carolina. Von laughed it off, saying he didn’t want to “end up being his stepdad.” After Vanderbilt won 31–7, Pavia added a twist on social media. He said that the date would only count if Von helped him get a date with pop star Tate McRae.

Von played along and posted a screenshot of himself messaging her. The whole thing has stayed lighthearted, and Von even appeared next to Pavia’s mom in a later video, making it clear the “date” was more of a fun bit than anything serious. All of this has turned into a surprisingly strong bond between Theo Von and the Pavia family. It’s gotten to the point where Pavia says he’s ready to hand over his dream trophy to Von to use as a decoration on his podcast set. But that, of course, depends on what happens tomorrow.

Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, and Jeremiyah Love are all still in the hunt for the Heisman, and the race is tight. Mendoza and Sayin lead playoff teams, while the committee left Vanderbilt out of the 12-team field despite their 10–2 record and bowl matchup with Iowa. But when you ask Pavia about his chances, his confidence says it all. “All of us want to win, one through four, and so,” Pavia said on the December 13th interview. “But I feel like if you turn on the tape, you look at the numbers, I feel like I’m the best.”

Diego Pavia’s greed for the Heisman has no bounds

Remember the time when Diego Pavia tried to amplify a fan’s stat graphic? Yeah, that was a calculated tactic. It was a clear shot at unbeaten Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the Heisman hierarchy built around him. Over Mendoza’s last five games, including the Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State, he totaled 1,007 passing yards and 69 rushing yards. On the other hand, Pavia stacked 1,290 passing yards and 368 rushing yards in just four outings.

So even with an extra game, Mendoza’s raw production lagged. Context made the move even bolder. Mendoza entered championship weekend as the Heisman frontrunner. He was sitting atop a 13–0 Indiana team after throwing 33 touchdowns to 6 interceptions with a 71.5% completion rate and an elite 181.4 passer rating. Yet against Ohio State, he looked human.

The 22-year-old tossed a tipped‑screen interception in the first quarter that Davison Igbinosun turned into Buckeye points. But even before his turnover, Sayin made the same mistake with a pick of his own to Louis Moore. In that window, Pavia’s camp saw an opportunity. If the supposed No. 1 couldn’t clearly outplay his closest rivals on the biggest stage, why should he sit uncontested atop the Heisman board?

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