It often happens that much-hyped players don’t live up to the expectations, and then there are guys like Diego Pavia, who just wrote his name in the history of college football in bold letters. This journey of fame started by week 5, as he racked up 308 total yards and tossed two touchdowns in the historic 40-35 victory over the then-no. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide that shook the walls of the college football world! A big part of Vanderbilt’s success this season goes to Pavia, who already calls their upcoming game against Tennessee “life or death!”

His charm is not only limited to his fans; major CFB analysts and experts also swear by his name. Recently, On3 expert J. D. Pickell also broke down Tennessee and Vanderbilt’s upcoming game. “This year, there’s legitimate belief with everything they’re doing internally under Clark Lea in a special probe in San Diego Pavia. And I’ve said this multiple times; I’ll say it again, man, I love so much the mentality and the attitude he brings to the table. What he is as a quarterback is massive, like the way he runs the football. His creativity, all those things, you cannot overthink the importance. The biggest impact I think he’s had is his putting his beliefs out there and putting his competitive attitude out there.”

Followed by an incredible victory over Alabama, Pavia and his squad sparked a three-game winning streak and national ranking. He continued scoring two touchdowns in each of the next wins over Kentucky and the Ba*l State. Not only that, the quarterback has racked up a total of 2700 yards throwing and rushing and scored 22 combined touchdowns. Isn’t it fascinating, even after losing two back-to-back bac games against LSU and South Carolina? After praising the QB for his expertise, Pickell went on and highlighted how fierce he is while on the field.

“The way, I don’t care who’s on the other side. I don’t care what we are favored by, what we’re not favored by, like, we’re out here to go get it done. And you go back and watch some press conference week during Alabama week. Like, if it’s not about getting Alabama, what is it about? People laughed at that. People thought that was a little crazy. Quarterback, this transport to Mexico state. Like, good for him. Kind of having that never-die mentality. Nobody was laughing after they beat Bama. I’ll say that right now, so I think there’s a real belief that makes it dangerous, with the stakes being as high as the opportunity.”

Pickell is not the first to say that because the quarterback has always been fierce about taking the on- and off-the-field decisions. For instance, when a reporter asked him intimidating questions about their next game against Tennessee, he kind of gave a savage reply. He said he always expects people to try and get him, but he gets the bulldog mentality that he just doesn’t care what they do; he’ll be there standing tall, though the Vols will try to strike with a physical defense.

Pavia is capable of managing all that by himself. No wonder Pickell pointed out this fact before the Tennessee game. It’s not a surprise if Diego Pavia crushes Josh Heupel’s playoff dreams in just one night. Besides, how is his health right now? Have you thought about that? After facing an injury, head coach Clark Lea is here to provide an update about Diego Pavia.

What did Clark Lea say about Diego Pavia’s health entering a crucial game against Tennessee?

Clark Lea’s staying pretty chill about Diego Pavia’s injury, even though he’s not in his full form. Lea’s still backing up Pavia to keep things locked for the offense—he had that clutch run in the game against LSU, all that. But Lea’s also not afraid to bring a new guy if needed. He hinted that Nate could probably slide, adding some spice to the option game.

While talking about Tennesee, Lea’s got crazy praise for the Vols. He knows they’re stacked, Dylan Sampson is a beast they should be fearing, and Tennessee’s tempo can leave teams in the dust if they miss a bit. While Lea keeps it real to his boys. They’ve got to play clean, stay focused, and not let the Vols get on their nerves.

So, is there a final message to his boys before this showdown? “Don’t let Tennessee punk us.” Yeah, he gave the whole idea of this game in a short yet savage response. While it’s not just another game for the Vols, many things are at stake, especially their playoff hopes.