Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea had a lot to say at SEC Media Day When asked about graduate transfer at New Mexico State Diego Paviaone of the Commodores’ three new quarterbacks this season. But one quote stood out in particular.
“I saw a quarterback who was a madman,” Lea said.
Pavia, who is below average in size at 6’1″ and 200 pounds, ultimately makes up for his frame with a balanced dual-threat skillset and a relentless, aggressive style of play. He is a fiery competitor who knows how to win. In the 2023 season for the Aggies, Pavia threw for 2,973 yards, 26 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and had ESPN. On the ground, Pavia ran for 1,058 yards (no sack yardage) and 7 touchdowns, which earned him third place in Conference USA. Thanks to Pavia’s outstanding performances, New Mexico State reached a 10-5 (7-1) record, culminating in a stunning upset victory over Auburn on the road and a berth in the Conference USA championship against No. 25 Liberty.
At Vanderbilt, Pavia now faces tough competition for the starting quarterback position: Four-star transfer from Utah Nate Johnson. While the starting job will likely go to one of Pavia or Johnson, Blaze Berlowitz, another transfer from NMSU, and Commodore Drew Dickey, who returned this season, have also shown their ability. Still, Pavia brings a unique edge, tangible leadership qualities and a familiarity with the offensive coordinator. Tim Becks System. With Vanderbilt’s first game against Virginia Tech fast approaching, this battle for position will continue through August 31st.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what makes Pavia a threat as a potential starter for the Commodores.
Performance Pavia
In The Hustler’s Film room For Nate Johnson, the first subsection is titled “Speed Kills.” A fitting title given Johnson’s blistering speed. While he may not have the same acceleration or be faster step-for-step than Johnson, Pavia is also spectacular on the run. He’s an expert at gaining yards any way he can, whether it’s option plays, designed runs, or scrambles. In his two seasons at New Mexico State, Pavia averaged over five yards per run. In 2023 alone, he averaged 61.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked eighth nationally among all FBS quarterbacks.
Pavia shined in Beck’s offensive scheme, which specializes in a balanced running game with constant trickery. He won’t necessarily stand up to a defense with game-winning speed, but he’s a smart runner when it comes to getting first downs and finding the end zone. His ball-handling vision is top-notch for a quarterback, as he’s great at getting defenders to fall for option reads and finding subsequent running lanes behind his blockers.
Additionally, Pavia’s running game is his ability to sustain a high number of runs. In 2023, Pavia led the team with 177 carries. That was 65 more runs than any other player on the Aggies and fourth-best of any quarterback in the nation. Of his 15 games, he had 10 in which he rushed for 10+ carries and recorded a season-high 19 carries (68 yards) against Jacksonville State. What makes a dual-threat like Pavia effective is not just his ability to run, but the stamina to sustain that well into games.
Hard to grasp game
One trait that has separated the good from the great quarterbacks in recent years of college football is the ability to go beyond what is called for on a play. This unpredictability is what sets many of the best college players apart and adds an extra layer for defenses to prepare for. Pavia has shown this talent. He is able to create amazing plays out of nothing and has the dexterity to get moving outside of the pocket. In fact, it sometimes seems like Pavia is more comfortable running than in the pocket.
Whether he’s ducking and dodging sacks to roll out and throw an unexpected bomb or sprinting off his first drive and gaining yards after a nifty pump fake, Pavia is as dynamic as they come. He trusts himself to make plays, but he also trusts his teammates to get free, even when the play seems doomed. Although he hasn’t faced any top-tier SEC defenses yet, Pavia brings a creativity that the Vanderbilt playmaker has been lacking for some time.
Most of Pavia’s cleanest plays come from play-action and quick rollouts where he can build momentum on the ground that gives him a variety of options. When Pavia gets the opportunity to extend a play, he can either cut back across the middle of the field to run, throw a hard-thrown ball deep out, or get enough space to buy time and give his receivers an opening. Pavia’s personality can occasionally lead him to a sack or, on rare occasions, a frantically thrown interception, but his playmaking skills are game-changing.
He takes his shot
Watching the film, it’s clear that Pavia doesn’t have the tremendous arm strength that many SEC quarterbacks boast. Rather, Pavia has a great feel for short to intermediate throws – in Beck’s offense, quarterbacks don’t often throw or complete passes at a high rate. Pavia’s career-high in completions is just 23, and in 2023 he finished eight games with 15 or fewer completions. Nationally, Pavia ranked 76th with 14.73 completions per game.
Pavia wasn’t afraid to let the ball fly: He ranked 20th in the nation with 13.45 yards per completion.
This underscores that Beck’s system is about quality over quantity. Pavia may not always throw 30 passes per game, but when he does make long passes, they are set up by a composed running game. While Vanderbilt’s offense spends most of its time on short yardage and run-after-catch opportunities, Pavia’s willingness to let the ball fly without fear is notable and will, in turn, help Vanderbilt’s short game.
Pavia will continue to improve as he refines his mid- to long-range accuracy to take advantage of opposing defenses’ opportunities. At New Mexico State, Pavia hurt his team on several occasions with throws that were too long and too short. With SEC defenses boasting stronger secondary defenses and better athletes, Pavia will need to capitalize on long throws every chance he gets, as he will have fewer opportunities than he did in 2023.
Pavia is considered the favorite for the starting spot because of his experience, leadership and knowledge of the offensive system. Beating Auburn on the road was certainly an accomplishment, but it was just one game. The real question is: Will Pavia be able to bring the same magic to West End?
