Who would’ve thought the Vanderbilt Commodores would be sitting at 5-3? The team has been flying under the radar, quietly racking up wins. But after upsetting two powerhouse teams—Alabama and Kentucky—and putting up a great fight against the Texas Longhorns, the college football world can’t stop talking about Vanderbilt and its head coach, Clark Lea.

In the game against the Longhorns, the Commodores’ QB even suffered an injury. He briefly left the game in the second quarter after he was tackled while scrambling. But like a true fighter, he came back to finish the game. No wonder he left everyone amazed. But let us also credit HC Lea.

Lea’s game-changing move was bringing in the best quarterback he could find: Diego Pavia. In fact, the buzz surrounding Vanderbilt’s success has largely been credited to Pavia. Even former Arizona State coach Adam Breneman couldn’t hold back his praise for the coach’s decision:

“Best thing Clark Lea did was get a dynamic quarterback to come lead his program. All his facilities, all the hype around the campus, don’t matter if you don’t have a good quarterback. And he’s got Diego Pavia, who’s reignited some life in that city and in Nashville, to get them excited about football again.

“And I thought Pavia played decent, turned the ball over a couple of times. But he still can make plays and when Vanderbilt has disadvantages in the athleticism on the perimeter, when you got a quarterback that can create and can make things happen when it breaks down, it gives you a chance in almost single ball game,” he said in a conversation with ‘Rivals’.

Pavia deserves every bit of the hype. Even in the heart-wrenching 24-27 loss to Texas, he put on a solid performance, proving his value. Pavia completed 16 of 29 passes for 143 yards, threw two touchdowns, and had two interceptions. On the ground, he led the team with 67 rushing yards on 16 carries.

“Diego is a special player, a special competitor, and we need to enjoy him while we have him here for this final stretch. I don’t think that type of player comes around all the time,” Lea said about the QB. It is clear that Pavia has found his groove at Vanderbilt. With 1,534 passing yards and 13 touchdowns so far this season, he has completely transformed the program. Considering Vanderbilt’s 2-10 record last season, everyone believes Pavia has been the key to their turnaround. His impressive performances have not only given the team a fresh identity but also drawn attention to Clark Lea’s vision for the program.

The buzz around Pavia started picking up after Vanderbilt’s stunning victory over Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama. That win was a game-changer for the Commodores—and for Pavia himself. Reflecting on the victory, he even said, “Games like this change your life.” And not just that, his NIL valuation increased.

Diego Pavia is capitalizing on the momentum!

Pavia is riding the wave of his newfound fame, becoming a hot name in the NIL market. Earlier this month, his NIL valuation stood at a whopping $711,000—a remarkable figure for a player just breaking onto the national stage. But as of Oct. 29, the figure stands at 893K and Pavia isn’t shy about capitalizing on this momentum.

He took to his X account to let everyone know: “For NIL inquiries, hit my agent 5055447267.”

When asked about his dream NIL deals, Pavia mentioned brands like Ferrari, Lululemon, Dr. Pepper, and Nike. While some of these partnerships may still be a stretch, others are already knocking at his door. But with all the attention comes challenges, too.

On October 15, Pavia exposed a scam involving his name. He reposted a message from an X account called “BreakingT,” which was selling T-shirts featuring his name and the slogan “VANDY WE TURNT.” Pavia quickly set the record straight, warning fans: “This is not me… WE HAVEN’T WORKED OUT A DEAL! DO NOT ORDER.”

It’s clear that with rising fame come both opportunities and hurdles. However, Pavia’s juggling act is quite impressive to neglect. He’s not just excelling on the field but also handling the off-field pressure like a pro.

Well, it looks like Clark Lea’s gamble on him is paying off big time. Vanderbilt’s next game is against Auburn on November 2. The Auburn Tigers lead the all-time series against the Vanderbilt Commodores, 22-21-1. In fact, they even won the last two matchups. So it will be interesting to see how Vanderbilt decides to handle them. What do you think?