When Vanderbilt took down the then No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, a star has risen from that victory. Believe it or not, Diego Pavia is the next big thing in college football. It has become his reality, which he once called a “dream,” after winning 40-35 against the Bama boys. Grabbing attention from his favorite brands to landing a $710,000 NIL valuation, Pavia has become an overnight sensation. But what are the chances for him to compete against top NFL quarterbacks?

Former Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher and current podcaster at Green Light, Chris Long, put out his point of view on Diego’s stand in the future NFL drafts.”What do they have against Diego Pavia.” He wrote a caption re-sharing Dov Kleiman’s NFL scouts’ post. “20 NFL scouts were polled who the 1st QB taken will be in the upcoming NFL draft. Nine of them picked Shedeur Sanders.” Then he revealed the top five quarterbacks’ names, who are currently ranking high in the NFL predictions.

These guys are Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe, Cam Ward, and Quinn Ewers. These are the guys analysts pick as the top candidates for the future NFL draft. However, by raising his concern, Long strongly opposed these rankings. As per him, Diego deserved a top-five spot based on his performance in the Alabama vs. Vanderbilt game.

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Through the five games that Pavia has played for Vandy, he is 70-105 in passing for 973 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. On top of that, he rushed for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns on 91 carries. Although he was being counted as a skillful player, it was after the game against Alabama that people realized his real worth. Having said that, let’s look at Pavia’s performance in the game against Alabama.

Diego Pavia on Vanderbilt’s victory over Alabama

In the historic 40-35 win over Alabama, Diego Pavia completed 15 of 20 passes for 252 yards and secured two touchdowns. But wait, there’s more. He also rushed for 56 yards in taking down Alabama on Saturday. As of now, Pavia and his mates are preparing for their next game against Kentucky. Do you know how his recent performance is reflected in his NIL valuation?

Pavia’s NIL valuation jumped to a whopping $711,000 in no time. All the big brands are right there at his doorstep. To seize this opportunity, he even shared a post on ‘X’ writing, “For NIL inquiries, hit my agent 5055447267.” Well, his bank balance is bound to increase after his heroic act.

The ‘Johnson Manziel’ fanboy said, “Games like this change your life, you know what I mean? It’s all about hype nowadays, and I don’t like it like that, but it’s the reality of NIL and all that stuff. But just staying grounded, stay where my feet are and every single day, tomorrow we got to work on Kentucky,” said Pavia in a press conference after the Alabama game. Despite newfound fame and NIL opportunities, he remained humble after helping his team secure a historic win against a powerhouse program.