Diego Pavia Sends 4-Word Message to His Brothers Who Return to Vanderbilt Game, a Week After Arrest

Last week, one of the biggest off-field headlines from Week 1 in college football came out of Nashville. Roel and Javier Pavia, the older brothers of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, were arrested outside FirstBank Stadium after the Commodores’ win over Charleston Southern. Public intoxication, resisting arrest, and even a felony assault on an officer landed their names in court documents and headlines. Fast forward just seven days, and the same brothers showed up in Blacksburg to watch Diego lead Vandy against Virginia Tech. The QB’s response? A simple four-word message.

On September 7th, Diego Pavia, the unofficial father of the NCAA eligibility lawsuit, hopped on X and dropped a 4 word message to his gang on X: “GANG IN THE TRAP 💨.” Diego knew what he was doing when he hit send. While Roel and Javi’s mugshots had been circling online, Diego made it clear they were still family, still his people. For a quarterback trying to put Vanderbilt football on the map, it showed the dual life he’s living: leader on the field, loyal brother off it.

Roel, 26, and Javier, 25, didn’t exactly sneak into Lane Stadium quietly. They were posted up in the bleachers, throwing gang signs and flexing a Pavia-bannered Vanderbilt flag. Repping the white, black and gold like nothing had happened the week before. It was a scene. One weekend they’re sitting in county jail, the next they’re in the crowd throwing signs at an ACC road game. If you didn’t know the backstory, you’d just think they were the rowdiest Vandy fans in the building.

Court filings painted a wilder picture from Week 1. WSMV reported that police were called to the stadium after fans complained about a belligerent man throwing food. Javier was described as staggering drunk, reeking of alcohol. Roel shoved an officer, ran, and was later caught. Hence the felony resisting arrest charge. Both were booked in Davidson County Jail before being released a few hours later. The whole thing overshadowed Diego’s career night in the opener.

Diego had torched Charleston Southern for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, matching his career-high passing yards at Vandy and notching his most touchdowns since the Birmingham Bowl win over Georgia Tech. He went 20-of-25 with zero turnovers. While his brothers were stirring up trouble outside, he was putting on his cleanest performance yet. By Week 2, the storylines collided and Diego balled out again.

Vandy and Diego Pavia’s comeback dub against Brent Pry’s squad

The drama in the stands didn’t take away from the drama on the field. Vanderbilt had given Virginia Tech a 20–10 halftime lead, then came out after the break like a completely different team. The Commodores unleashed 34 unanswered points, smothering the Hokies 44–20 and leaving Lane Stadium stunned.

The switch flipped with the run game. Vandy gouged Virginia Tech for 262 rushing yards in the second half alone, wearing down the Hokies’ defense until they broke. By the end, the Commodores had stacked up 492 yards of offense. One of the most complete efforts of Clark Lea’s tenure. For a team that’s been starving for identity, this looked like a breakthrough.

Diego played conductor again. He was 12 for 18 pass attempts, but turned them into 193 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He added 61 yards on the ground, showing that dual-threat edge that keeps defenses guessing. His deep ball to Brycen Coleman, 54 yards of pure fire, shifted the momentum, and his strike to Tre Richardson slammed the door. Tech’s defense looked solid early, but once Diego found his rhythm, they unraveled.

Credit goes to the defense too. After giving up 20 in the first half, Vanderbilt pitched a second-half shutout. The front seven locked in, stuffed the run, and forced multiple punts plus a turnover. That’s how you close games in hostile territory. The Hokies, now 0–2 for the first time since 2010, had no answers.

For Vanderbilt, sitting at 2–0 with Diego Pavia leading the charge, this was more than just a win. It was a statement. The Commodores flipped the script on their reputation, Diego backed up the preseason hype, and the Pavias, controversy and all, are front and center in one of the wildest early-season stories in college football.