The Vanderbilt quarterback, Diego Pavia, a gritty player with some swagger, just completed an on-field and legal double that’s making waves. Earlier this year, Pavia engaged in a struggle not only with SEC defenses but also with NCAA eligibility guidelines. A federal judge granted Pavia a preliminary injunction in December 2024, enabling him to play for Vanderbilt in 2025 and protecting him and the school from any NCAA sanctions if the ruling is later overturned. But this is more than just a tale of legal victories and NIL contracts—it’s about a player who has altered the course of Vanderbilt football.

Pavia has already accumulated gaudy statistics: he has passed for more than 2,200 yards, thrown 20 touchdowns, and only made four interceptions, plus he has rushed for almost 800 yards and scored another eight touchdowns. Under Pavia’s leadership, the Commodores staged unprecedented upsets, topping Alabama and sending shockwaves throughout the SEC. That’s right—the same Alabama that has dominated for years, the same team that has terrorized nightmares and destroyed seasons for so many opponents.

During a recent interview with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan of the Bussin’ With The Boys’ 17th June episode, Pavia clarified some of his plans for this season. “You guys go down to Bear Bryant Stadium this year, you in your brain you think the outcome is going to be the same,” Compton asks Pavia. “For sure. I have no doubt like we got the guys to go do it, we got the firepower, we got the depth, got the defense, the offense like we would be selling ourselves short if uh if I was to sit here and tell you like we don’t have the faith to go win the national championship.” Bold? Yes. Confident? Yes. I mean, when has Diego Pavia ever not answered with pure conviction?

And this is surely a bold take after Ryan Williams’ confidence shook the entire internet a few days ago. Last year’s surprise over the Crimson Tide was no accident, at least to Pavia. He has the confidence, the ability, and the faith that this team can do it again for a second consecutive year. He’s not playing for himself—his playing for all those who have ever labelled Vanderbilt football as the undeserved winner. The depth of the team has also been enhanced, with several under-the-radar recruits and transfers making key plays, which has maintained the energy levels high and the competition intense throughout the season.

The coaching staff’s fine-tuning has also been key, combining aggressive schemes with astute play-calling to take advantage of the team’s strengths on both sides of the ball. All those elements contribute to Pavia’s belief in a national championship run sounding less like a pipe dream and more like an attainable objective. Now, how did they come so close to that crazy upset against Alabama last season? It was a combination of gutsy play-calling, clutch performances. But it wasn’t celebrations and glory. Diego Pavia also revealed a regret that’s haunted him ever since that record-breaking night. Immediately after the game, in the momentary excitement, he threw away his game jersey without giving it a second thought. Later, he learned the jersey was going for a whopping $40,000 in the NIL market.

“It was nuts, I had all my boys there too, I wasn’t trying to lose that football…..now like my jersey sold for like $40,000,” Pavia says. “Man, I wish I’d kept that jersey,” Pavia confessed with a chuckle on the podcast. NIL agreements have made game-worn jerseys valuable commodities, particularly after historic upsets. For players like Pavia, it’s an indication that every game is a chance, both on and off the court.

The rematch gets personal

While Diego Pavia’s been busy making bold claims about beating Alabama again, the Crimson Tide aren’t exactly sitting back and staying quiet, especially not their star wideout, Ryan Williams. He’s got something to say, and it’s not for the faint of heart. When asked about the upcoming rematch with Vanderbilt, Williams didn’t just give the usual “we’ll take it one game at a time” coach-speak. Nah, he swung for the fences: “We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer this year,” he told Jon Gruden. It’s the kind of (over) confidence you expect from a Bama player, but it’s not without reason.

Alabama’s a program built on dominance, and last year’s loss to Vanderbilt still stings. But here’s the thing: not everyone’s buying what Williams is selling. FOX Sports commentator RJ Young fired back, “The question that I would ask — where the hell was that sledgehammer last year, dawg?” Fair enough. Because last October, Vanderbilt outplayed Alabama. Diego Pavia was almost flawless, completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for 56 yards. For a program that’s been the SEC’s punching bag for decades, that victory was seismic.

Williams, to his credit, didn’t attempt to sugarcoat. “They just played a better football game than us,” Williams said, reflecting on the shocking night in Nashville. “We came out slow, and they capitalized. They held the ball, they had their game plan, and they executed it.” Entering 2025, the roles are reversed a bit. Alabama’s got a new quarterback and a new chip on their shoulder, but Vanderbilt’s got Pavia back. Trash talk is up and running, and Pavia’s already got some shots in on Instagram, with a video and the Gucci Mane lyric. If last year’s shocker was the beginning, the rematch could very well be the moment that defines a legacy.