Every season in college football, we witness big-time players with loud mouths who make the national headlines for their moments, on and off the field. The college football world loves to label these players as “arrogant” or “brash” for their confidence. From 2016 Baker Mayfield to 2024 Shedeur Sanders, the list goes on. But this year, it’s Vanderbilt’s very own Diego Pavia.

Word on the street is that Pavia is a disrespectful player. The former JUCO baller has been getting heat for his behavior ever since they beat Alabama back in 2024. As the noise around Pavia grows louder, a national analyst just dropped a reality check after spending a day with him. We all know Diego Pavia’s got that dawg in him on the field, but off the field? Different story. He’s just more peaceful.

On October 26, college football analyst Marty Smith hopped onto X and shared his thoughts on Pavia’s human side after spending a whole day with him: “Perspective on Diego Pavia: I was with Diego for the entire day Tuesday. At lunch, he stood up from the table and hugged a cafeteria staff member, thanking that person by name for cooking Diego some extra food. I watched him address teammates by name and many with an embrace. He has a nickname for everybody. I watched him take copious notes in meetings and encourage and demand the standard throughout practice.”

He even threw a party for the entire team in the name of team bonding before the start of the season. No wonder the Commodores are 7-1 this season. To Smith, Diego goes out of his way to make people feel like they belong. It’s something that takes effort and heart. Diego Pavia’s reputation for being “arrogant” comes from his outspoken confidence and how he trash-talks, which all stems from being a lifelong underdog.

Since prominent colleges overlooked him out of high school, he had to play junior college football. Yes, he has a massive chip on his shoulder and loves to prove people wrong. He’s even admitted he likes putting pressure on himself because he believes it “builds diamonds.” This narrative was super-charged during the 2025 season, especially before and after Vanderbilt’s game against Alabama.

Before the game, Pavia talked about the big game, making disrespectful comments and giving Alabama plenty of bulletin board material. When Vanderbilt ended up losing 30-14, and Pavia had a rough game with some turnovers, critics like Paul Finebaum were quick to call him out for his overconfidence and arrogance. But instead of doubling down, Diego Pavia took responsibility for his turnovers.

What makes him special, though, is that he’s taken a team full of 2- and 3-star players to their best start since 1941 (7-1). The Commodores are ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Poll, their best ranking in decades, and even hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for the first time in nearly 20 years. Diego Pavia has brought life back to Vanderbilt football, and some analysts already consider him a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.

Diego Pavia’s Heisman case

We all know Diego Pavia is legitimate in the Heisman conversation, but is he actually a front-runner or just a name attached to it? The university even leaned into it with a “2TURNT” campaign. His confident, sometimes-arrogant style has rubbed some people the wrong way, but the man talks the talk and then walks the walk; nobody can question him for that. The guy has led Vanderbilt to big wins against ranked teams like South Carolina and LSU.

Even though his numbers aren’t always mind-blowing, oddsmakers have him among the top contenders for the Heisman. After a win over Missouri, he was asked if he thought he deserved it, and his response was very on-brand: “Hell yeah, I believe it.” But his Heisman path isn’t a total cakewalk. First, in the Heisman case, you have proper gunslingers like Fernando Mendoza from Indiana and Ty Simpson from Alabama. Those guys are one-up on Diego Pavia on passing touchdowns. But you need to understand, those guys got the best of the best athletes on their roster.

Diego Pavia’s stats do justice to his Heisman race, though; he had 1,698 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and five picks, plus 458 rushing yards and 5 TDs. He had a couple of meh games that shadowed his campaign. Specifically, he had a rough outing against Alabama with some turnovers, and even in a recent win against Missouri, he wasn’t exactly lighting it up, only throwing for 129 yards and a pick. That said, the man knows how to get it done when it counts, like scoring the clutch game-winning TD against Missouri.

His case is built more on his leadership and winning mentality than just pure stats, but the path to winning is still an uphill battle; you can’t say he’s not putting in the work. Now, he’s got to keep the wins coming against some tough teams still on the schedule, like Texas and Tennessee.

If he survives the stretch and takes the Vandy to the SEC title game and to their first-ever playoff by stealing Georgia or Alabama’s spot, there’s no reason for us not to see him lifting the Heisman trophy in December.