Diego Pavia isn’t backing down. Reflecting on Vanderbilt’s narrow 24–17 loss to LSU in a packed Death Valley, the fiery QB questioned the hype around the Tigers. “It didn’t feel like the whole stadium showed up,” said Pavia on the 25 Whistles Sports Show. Despite the official crowd of 102,086, he wasn’t overly impressed. Now, with LSU heading to Nashville in 2025, Pavia’s message is clear: it’s personal, and the fire’s already lit. In 2024, Diego Pavia went 177-of-298 for 2,293 yards — solid numbers, no doubt. But in the rugged world of the SEC, “solid” might not be enough to fuel a championship dream.

On the July 23rd episode of Saturday Down South, Connor O’Gara teamed up with former Vanderbilt QB Jordan Rodgers—also known as the younger brother of NFL star Aaron Rodgers—to break down their SEC QB rankings. And during the segment, Diego Pavia got a tough dose of reality. When Jordan was asked, “So who—you have Arch fifth?” he responded, “Yes.” Then came the rapid-fire: “Does that mean you have Diego sixth?” “Seventh?” “Eighth?” Rodgers answered each with a firm “No.” So, his top five? Garrett Nussmeier, DJ Lagway, LaNorris Sellers, John Mateer, and Arch Manning. Then Diego? Not quite. It was clear: Pavia’s SEC title dream just hit a serious rankings roadblock.

And when the conversation shifted to whether Diego Pavia cracked the top 10, Jordan Rodgers didn’t flinch. “I don’t think he’s top 10 on the list, honestly,” he said. That answer sparked a playful reaction from Connor O’Gara, who laughed and asked, “Is this a prank? Am I—like are we—the camera’s going to come out? I’m so—” But Jordan stood his ground. He broke it down with perspective:

“No, think about this. So, like the thing about like rankings is you get caught in between projection and evaluation. And if you evaluate Diego, there’s not many guys that did more with less. There’s not many guys that—that did more on the biggest of stages. But when I project what this is going to look like next year, like where he’s going to fall in this mix, there’s just guys that I think have a little more upside and a little higher ceiling to what they’re going to be,” said the former SEC QB. Okay, last season, Diego Pavia threw for 20 TDs and just 4 interceptions, helping Vanderbilt to a 7-6 regular-season finish. And the Commodores capped it off with a 35-27 win over Georgia Tech. So, the talent is there—then what?

Here, Jordan Rodgers didn’t doubt Diego Pavia’s talent—but he did offer a dose of reality. “Now, does that mean I think he’s going to go out there and stink? No, not absolutely not,” he said. “I think he’s—he’s one of the hardest guys to game plan against.” Still, Rodgers pointed to last season as a caution sign. Pavia took a beating, and by season’s end, he wasn’t the same. “They’re going to run him a lot less,” added Rodgers. “So, I think his production is going to be a little bit lower… and they should, because they need to protect him.” Why not?

In the 2024 season, Diego Pavia played through multiple injuries, most notably a painful leg hit against Kentucky that he said was “when I really got hurt.” He also battled a knee injury from the Texas game and was visibly limited during the Auburn matchup. Despite being “banged up all week,” as Coach Clark Lea put it stating that Pavia kept playing and led Vanderbilt to a Birmingham Bowl win—showcasing his grit. But also raising concerns about his durability heading into 2025.

Given that, Jordan Rodgers didn’t hold back when summing up his take on Diego Pavia’s place in the SEC QB mix. “So that’s just that ground caught between what I think he’s going to look like and what I evaluate,” he explained. And Rodgers admitted there are plenty of QBs he’s high on because of “their ceilings and their intangibles.” Still, he made it clear it’s no knock on Pavia. “Don’t mean that to be a slight, because I think it’s one of the deepest quarterback classes we’ve ever seen in the SEC.” So, it’s high praise for the depth and talent of the 2025 SEC QB class overall, but Diego Pavia doesn’t quite crack the top-tier rankings in Rodgers’ view. Now, while the former QB didn’t believe in Diego fulfilling his SEC dream, the QB himself has full belief in his own potential.

Diego Pavia’s most recent statement is turning heads

The talking season is winding down, and kickoff is almost here. Although Week 0 kicks off on August 23 with 5 games, Vanderbilt fans have their eyes set on August 30. Look, all offseason, the buzz around the Commodores has been about building on last year’s 7-6 finish. Can they take the next step? Well, according to QB Diego Pavia, the answer is yes — and it starts from within. “The belief is there,” he said with conviction on SEC Network, setting the tone for a team ready to silence doubts and chase more in 2025. So, can Vanderbilt make it to Atlanta for the SEC Title?

Okay, Diego Pavia isn’t just hopeful—he’s confident. “Number one, we have the talent. Two, we return a lot of talent. And three, Eli Stowers and a few of the guys have brought everyone closer to Christ,” he explained. That belief isn’t baseless. With 70% of last season’s production coming back—including playmakers like Eli Stowers, Randon Fontenette, and Langston Patterson—the foundation is solid. And the odds are in their favor too: according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, teams that return that much production improve 70% of the time. So, the pieces are there—now it’s about putting it all together.

Here’s the thing, Vanderbilt didn’t just beat Alabama last season—they hung tough with powerhouses like Texas and Missouri too. But chasing an SEC title won’t be easy. Because the road ahead is Brutal. The Commodores face the second-toughest schedule in the FBS, with road games at Virginia Tech, Vols, Bama, Texas, and South Carolina. So, if they manage to crash the SEC Title party, it’d be a shocking twist—maybe the boldest statement of the entire season.