By Mark Pszonak
There is nothing wrong with confidence, especially on the football field, but some comments are better left unsaid. That has been the general reaction after Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was recently interviewed on the Bussin with the Boys podcast, which is co-hosted by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan.
Pavia touched on many topics, including how Vanderbilt would follow up their improbable victory over Alabama in 2024 with a win in Tuscaloosa in 2025, but his comments regarding the rivalry with Tennessee has grabbed more attention.
“Vanderbilt is gonna run Tennessee after this year,” said Pavia. “This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It’s going to happen here at Vanderbilt.”
He continued to share his thoughts.
“Everyone wants to come to (the state of) Tennessee because of Nashville,” said Pavia. “They want to come to Nashville, so Vanderbilt is in Nashville. And then when we have the most money in NIL, like, why not come here? So, we literally just have to win this year, and throughout the rest of the year, it’ll take care of itself.”
More Sports News
Nashville may have money, but that doesn’t mean that Vanderbilt has money. And if they do, they haven’t shown the eagerness to throw it towards NIL. Just looking at the last two years, since NIL became very prevalent, the Commodores have signed the SEC’s worst high school recruiting class in 2024 and 2025 and are at best, middle of the pack, during the same timeframe with their transfer signings.
This does not support Pavia’s statements and opinions in any way. Vanderbilt is a very good academic school that has plenty of wealthy alumni, but to this point, that hasn’t translated to a steady and/or impressive flow of NIL funds to the football program.
Another win over Alabama could help this, and a win at Tennessee may raise even more eyebrows, but Vanderbilt still has a long way to go before they start to puff out their chests.
