Diego Pavia dominated college football headlines this offseason, his name humming like a stadium full of fans on game day. Not only his on-field play but also his off-field controversy was the focus. A federal judge’s injunction granted Pavia an additional year of eligibility, rattled the NCAA, and set the stage for other players in similar situations. With all this soap opera in the air, Pavia was guaranteed to have fun in his recent spot on “Bussin’ with the Boys.” The discussion charged, with Pavia doubling up on his insistence that Vanderbilt will claim the state of Tennessee and make a serious push at the College Football Playoff.

But the actual moment that left fans in stitches and jawing was when the hosts mentioned Josh Pate, who is a popular college football analyst. With a cheeky smile, Pavia played cool, perhaps too cool. “Who’s Josh Pate?” he asked, throwing some good-natured shade at the popular media personality. The room exploded, and the conversation lit up with responses. The second wasn’t about shooting down a name; it was about Pavia’s personality—raw, real, and relaxed. It remains a mystery whether he really doesn’t know Josh Pate or was simply messing around.

Josh Pate, who is quick-witted and laid-back, didn’t let that slide. “We support our local teams, and we put Diego Pavia in our SEC quarterback power rankings,” Pate says on his show on 23rd June. “The other day, at the expense of Georgia and Alabama starting quarterback, did we not? And what’s the thanks that we get, we get blindsided by treachery, not even on our show, at least come on my show and ask, who are you?” Pate, however, was extremely moved by the hosts of the show, Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, who stood up for him when he wasn’t there. Pavia, a JUCO transfer, has brought Vanderbilt back into the conversation, and that’s precisely why the fans and the analysts have begun taking notice.

And the individual who used hours arguing SEC quarterback power rankings, and this season he went against form and placed Pavia above the starting quarterbacks at Georgia and Alabama in your SEC quarterback power rankings. That’s correct, ahead of the players from the two largest powerhouse programs in the league. Georgia and Alabama both have new starters to break in or issues at quarterback, so it seemed like the right moment to give the underdog his shining moment. And, after all this love, after you put Pavia on a pedestal, what do you receive as a response? Not a thank you, not a shoutout, but a ruthless blindside.

Pate continues to state, “I don’t forget, and in this case I don’t even forgive. But I do appreciate, I do appreciate our friends down there, the boys on the bus; they at least held up their end of the social contract. Diego Pavia apparently not quite ready to do the same. What kind of program is Clark Lea running when his players are not exposing themselves to the noise outside the program?” It’s the ultimate ‘stab in the back’ for any fan or analyst who’s been building him up. That’s where the question regarding Clark Lea’s program fits in. Is this a sign of discipline, of players so focused on the process that they don’t even know what’s going on outside? Or is it a lost opportunity for Vanderbilt to establish its brand and relate to fans and media?

Diego Pavia’s Tennessee takeover talk

So, you’re left wondering: what kind of program is Clark Lea running when his players are so locked in they barely notice the noise outside? But maybe that’s just Vanderbilt’s secret sauce. Diego Pavia isn’t just part of the gossip. In the Bussin with Boys podcast, Pavia didn’t just throw shade; he launched a full-on warning shot at the University of Tennessee, the Commodores’ in-state rival. He didn’t merely indicate that Vanderbilt would be competitive; he announced that the Commodores would not merely defeat Tennessee in 2025.

“Vanderbilt is going to run Tennessee after this year,” Pavia said on the ‘Bussin’ with the Boys’ podcast. “This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It’s gonna happen here at Vanderbilt… Everyone wants to come to Tennessee because of Nashville. Then, when we have the most money in NIL, why not come here? So we literally just have to win this year, and throughout the rest of the years, it will take care of itself.” He’s got the numbers to support it, too, with 2293 yards and 20 TDs: after guiding Vanderbilt past Alabama and to a winning season in 2024, he’s become the face of an ascending program. But it’s not necessarily what he has done—it’s what he promises to do in the future.

You can almost hear Knoxville gasp as a whole. Here’s a guy who’s the underdog, supposedly, but he’s speaking like he’s already won. And he’s not even speaking to his coaches or his teammates—he’s speaking in the public arena, on podcasts, and in interviews. But Pavia’s message isn’t particular to Tennessee. It’s a shot across the bow of the entire SEC: Vanderbilt is not in here to be nice. With Pavia under center, the Commodores are looking to rock the boat and let everyone know it.