Everything QB Diego Pavia Said After Vanderbilt's First Spring Practice
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia had a breakout 2024 season for the Commodores, leading them to the program’s first winning season and bowl game victory in more than 10 years.
Unlike last year, though, Pavia will be a full participant in Vanderbilt’s spring practices that kicked off Tuesday in Nashville. Pavia met with members of the media after the team’s practice and here’s what he had to say:
Pavia on being a part of this year’s spring practices:
It feels amazing just to have that team camaraderie, just being around every single one of them. They're all unique in their own way, and just laughing in the locker room, cracking jokes, doing stupid stuff—that's what spring ball is all about. Then coming out here and competing and loving one another.
Pavia on this year’s team’s potential:
National Championship. I mean, we got that as our goal. We got the talent to do it. It's just really up to us.
Pavia on what he can show in his second year with Vanderbilt:
I think the biggest part for me is staying healthy. Obviously, I got banged up towards the middle of the season, and then as you see, some of my production fell off. As long as I'm healthy, I feel—even when I'm hurt too—but I feel like the most dominant player to touch the football field. I just got to stay myself, be true to myself, and everything will work out. It's God's timing.
Pavia on minimizing risks and staying healthy this upcoming season:
Yeah. You know, as a quarterback, that's always conscious with what you look for, but my playing style—I'm unique in my own way. So, whenever it's time to go win a football game, I'm putting my body on the line and going to win it.
I'll always be me. But when it comes down to it, when we get into deeper games and things like that, we have to be methodical about when I'm running the ball, what the play call is, and things like that. But when it's time to take it over, I got to take it over.
Pavia on Eli Stowers returning:
When I stayed and he decided to come back, it was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. It's just relief. That kid—he'd be the best tight end in the draft right now. You go look at his test numbers, what he can do, I'm like, "Bro, you would outperform everyone in the draft right now," whether that's a running back, tight end, or wide receiver. People will know when he tests. It's going to blow up on Twitter, and everyone will be surprised, but a lot of us won't.
Pavia on his recruiting pitch to Stowers:
I told him he's got to stay. It was during the bowl game too, so we were going back and forth, and he was deciding what he wanted to do. I was just in his ear about, "If I get this year, you got to stay." He understood. Obviously, with NIL and stuff, he's able to make money off his name, image, and likeness, so I think that's a big reason why he stayed too.
Pavia on what to expect from Makhilyn Young:
I don't even want to speak too much about him, but man, that kid's one of a kind. You see his build, his frame—I saw him as a freshman, sophomore, and now it's like, "Bro, you've grown up totally." He's in and out of cuts, he stays square. That kid's one of a kind. Obviously, we still got SE coming back, but MK—he's going to be a very dominant running back in the SEC.
Pavia on what he’s most looking forward to this season:
I just want to see how we can win games, but more importantly, how dominant we can be in games. Obviously, we're playing in the SEC, the best of the best. So, I want to see what we can do—how many points we can put up, how our defense can limit them, and then make that separation and take off.
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Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.