Vanderbilt Commodores Superstar Named to Watch List for Prestigious Award
The Vanderbilt Commodores have seen their football program go from zero to hero in the span of just one offseason.
Under fourth-year head coach Clark Lea, the program entered this year with a 9-27 overall record and a 2-24 Southeastern Conference record throughout his short tenure with the program.
This year, the team has jumped out to a 5-2 record overall, with a 2-1 record in conference play, with one of their wins coming against the Alabama Crimson Tide, and their lone conference loss coming against the Missouri Tigers in double overtime.
A big reason for that success has been the leadership and on-field ability of incoming senior transfer quarterback Diego Pavia.
Pavia has helped lead the Commodores with his explosive play, throwing for 1,391 yards with 11 touchdowns and only one interception, while adding 470 yards rushing with three touchdowns on 118 attempts.
It has been that explosive play that has led Pavia to be named to the Manning Award Watch List, announced today by the school's official Twitter for the football program.
Manning Award Watch List
— #25 Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 24, 2024
⚓️ Diego Pavia pic.twitter.com/qy0osRzVQd
Pavia is one of 14 additions to the award's watch list that came on Thursday, an award created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to recognize the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, the award's namesake.
It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances along with their regular season performances.
The Manning Award initially added 29 quarterbacks to its preseason watch list but has opted to add the additional players after their performances throughout the first half of the year, though every quarterback in the nation is eligible to win the award.
A select panel of national media covering college football will determine the finalists for the honor, along with the Mannings themselves, and the list will be announced on December 5th, with the winner of the award being announced after the College Football Playoff National Championship.
