Former Vanderbilt Backup Quarterback Transferring Back to Utah
One of the unintended consequences of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia getting an additional year of eligibility from his recent lawsuit is that the Commodores have lost some depth behind him.
On Tuesday, KSL Sports in Salt Lake City reported that one of his backups, Nate Johnson, was transferring back to Utah, which was the school he was at before he moved to Vanderbilt last season.
Johnson transferred to Vanderbilt knowing that Utes veteran quarterback Cam Rising would return from injury in 2024. In addition, the Utes had signed a highly-valued prospect in Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of NFL quarterback and former BYU star Zach Wilson.
But, Johnson was unable to win the starting quarterback job from Pavia, who transferred in from New Mexico State. With Pavia in control of the offense, Johnson only threw three passes, completing one for 12 yards. He also helped in some rushing packages, but only carried the ball 11 times for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The situation has now changed at Utah. Rising is not expected to return, even though he can apply for a medical hardship waiver and, if approved, play an eighth season of college football.
Wilson, who assumed the starting job after Wilson’s injury, struggled and entered the transfer portal, only to withdraw his name and stay with the Utes. But the job is by no means his.
Wilson threw for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions before he suffered an injury late in the season.
When Rising was sidelined in 2023, Johnson played seven games at quarterback, where he threw for 499 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 232 yards and four touchdowns. He helped them beat then-No. 22 UCLA during that season.
The Clovis, Calif., native was highly-pursued coming out of high school. He was rated a four-star player and the No. 16 quarterback in the country He was a two-sport athlete in high school, as he also ran track. He was also invited to the Elite 11 Finals.
Pavia is set to return to help the Commodores build on their success last season, which included a 7-6 record, a Birmingham Bowl win and a massive upset of Alabama which shook the college football world and likely contributed to the Crimson Tide not making the College Football Playoff.
Pavia threw for 2,293 yards, with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 800 yards and eight scores.
