This transfer portal season has been all about quarterbacks and massive NIL deals. From coast to coast, signal-callers are chasing the bag—and in many cases, securing it. Carson Beck made waves by leaving Georgia for Miami, reportedly signing a $4 million NIL deal. Over at Duke, Darian Mensah joined the Blue Devils with an $8 million offer on the table for two seasons. Even Nico Iamaleava, once Tennessee’s top prospect, reportedly demanded a $4 million-per-year deal and headed to UCLA when it didn’t happen. And right in the thick of it? Diego Pavia—Vanderbilt’s unlikely breakout star.

For the first time in years, the Commodores were back in national headlines. Pavia was a star in 2024, guiding them to a statement bowl win and an upset 40-35 victory against Alabama. Fans rallied behind him. Teammates believed in him. And thanks to a judge granting him an extra year of eligibility, he was ready to run it back in Nashville. Then, things got wild.

Pavia made a stunning claim during a recent appearance on Bussin’ with the Boys. According to him, he turned down NIL offers ranging from $4 to $4.5 million—including one from an SEC program—to stay at Vanderbilt.

“The offers were great, but winning is more important to me than anything,” Pavia said. “You’ve got (assistant) coach (Jerry) Kill and coach (offensive coordinator Tim) Beck relying on you to come back. It’s all a money game. You’ve got other schools offering you $4 million, and (Vanderbilt) doesn’t want to pay you $4 million, but (Vanderbilt) took a chance on me, so I understand that.” But now, the story is taking a sharp turn.

On the June 28th episode of Jox 94.5, college football analyst Cole Cubelic addressed the claim—and shut it down fast. “Obviously, the new trend is—I’m just going to say this point blank—lying about how much money you were going to get from somewhere else,” Cubelic said.

Then came the hammer: “Diego Pavia did not get offered $4.5 million to go play one year of football somewhere.”

Cubelic didn’t back down from the statement. With clarity and confidence, he added, “That didn’t happen. I don’t care who was here, when it was, how it happened. I’ll be glad to let you know—no football team in America offered him four and a half million for one season. No. Now, there might be somebody close to him that felt like it was cool to tell him that, and he believed him, but not—no.”

So what started as one of the most shocking NIL stories of the year now looks more like a possible exaggeration—or a misunderstanding. Still, it raises a question: even if the $4.5 million wasn’t real, what made Diego Pavia stay at Vanderbilt?

Diego Pavia sticks with Vandy

Through all the noise, Diego Pavia never hesitated. His love for Vanderbilt and belief in the program were always bigger than any price tag. “I never flirted with (leaving Vanderbilt). The numbers are great, but winning is more important to me,” Pavia said. “It was less reaching out to me, it was more reaching out to, like, my brothers and my family and stuff.” That loyalty says it all. Even without formally entering the transfer portal, schools reached out—some even offering him cars, houses, and other perks. Pavia revealed just how big the jump was from where he started.

“Coming from New Mexico State, these other schools were offering me cars, houses and big-time money,” he said. “I would have stayed at New Mexico State for $100,000. At Vandy, the quarterback they had just brought in, they paid him way over $100,000. They offered me $150,000. But I didn’t know any different, I was going from $1,400 a month to $100,000.”

Pavia also opened up about how he manages his NIL earnings. “I give it all to my mom,” Pavia said. “I’ve never touched a dime of my NIL (money).”

And it’s easy to see why he drew attention from schools—even without going portal-hopping. In 2024, Pavia posted 2,133 passing yards, 17 touchdowns through the air, and added 716 rushing yards with six more scores. His dynamic play made him one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the SEC.

But for Pavia, headlines weren’t the goal—building something bigger at Vanderbilt was. He even admitted some schools from the Big Ten came calling. But he never seriously entertained them. Why? Because his heart was in the SEC. “You want to play with the best. You don’t want to play with the Big Ten. You ignore those calls. You know that,” Pavia said jokingly. Whether or not the $4.5 million offer ever existed, Diego Pavia’s loyalty to Vanderbilt is real. And the numbers speak for themselves. He traded bigger money for bigger dreams in black and gold.