It was a seven-win season for Clark Lea‘s Vanderbilt and the first since 2013 where they achieved an AP top 25 position. But most notable was probably the Commodores’ win against Alabama last year, as the team led by former JUCO quarterback Diego Pavia, scripted history and defeated Alabama for the first time in 40 years (that too by scoring 40). Now, in 2025, having won an extra year of eligibility, Pavia is coming back, and with him is the promise of a Tom Brady-esque season…

Diego Pavia, last year, passed for 2,400 yards and rushed for another 898 yards, making him one of the exciting names to watch out for the 2025 season. For the folks less versed in Pavia’s talent? Just watch that Alabama game. In that, Pavia cut through the Bama defense like a knife through butter as he passed for 252 yards and accumulated 67 yards on the ground.

The game was a declaration of the QB’s talent as he said, “We showed the world what we’re capable of. This is just the start.” Now, after undergoing spring practices and emerging as a leader and the QB1, Diego Pavia is learning some new moves. As he said, the team’s goal is a “national title” in the long term. But for now? Pavia is busy watching Tom Brady’s tape, as he told the reporters at Vandy’s practice field.

“Do you look at a film of other guys, maybe NFL quarterbacks?” Asked the reporters. And Diego Pavia replied confidently, radiating confidence as he started giving his answer. “Yeah, I really like Tom Brady used to move over the pocket really well. Used to stay in the pocket, just, you know, drive different lanes,” said Pavia. And it’s not just Brady, the young athlete is also busy watching the tapes of one other NFL legend.

“Aaron Rodgers, too. But those guys are special, in their own right. And so, I know my ability and I know what I have to do to get better,” concluded Pavia. Sure, watching Brady and Aaron Rodgers tapes would have its perks, considering they are the two best players of all time. While achieving a national title as Pavia declared might be a tall ask for Vanderbilt, Pavia has still emerged as the top 5 QBs in college football and can at least lead the team to a 9-10 win season for sure. Moreover, the head coach, Clark Lea, also has full faith in Diego Pavia.

Clark Lea opens up about how Diego Pavia is changing Vanderbilt’s culture

Ever since taking over Vanderbilt from the 2021 season, Coach Lea has found success hard to come by. Be it the 2-win season in his first year or the 2-win season again in 2023. But little did Lea know that a lesser-known QB from a junior college would become his X factor and lead the team back to relevance. Moreover, Pavia is also donning the role of an uncompromising leader in the locker room, as per Lea.

“Leadership is about not modeling. It’s about pulling people with you. It’s about having a ripple effect. And with another year here, obviously, he’s a guy who quickly grows connections. But with another year here, he’s allowed his standards to become our standards. His influence now kind of reaches from corner to corner in the locker room. I think he’s helped elevate other guys in ways that give them a leadership voice as well,” said Clark Lea to the reporters.

The 2025 season’s schedule looks tricky for Vanderbilt with games against top opponents like Alabama, LSU, Texas, Auburn, and Tennessee stacked up. Apart from that, South Carolina, with LaNorris Sellers, will give them a tough competition along with a Missouri team that went 10 and 3 last season. Sure, it seems like a tall hill to climb, but with Diego Pavia’s talent? The Commodores would surely salvage something out of the season.