Don't Act Like You Wouldn’t Welcome Diego Pavia, Who Says He Turned Down $4 Million To Stay At Vanderbilt

So Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia oozing confidence is something that turns you off about rhe playmaker that resides in Nashville? Stop, you know that type of swagger would be welcomed on your favorite college football team. And if you're denying it, you are most likely just hating on the young man who doesn't have a filter. 

Pavia captured the attention of the college football world during his time at New Mexico State, most likely when he took his team to Auburn and derailed the Tigers, as Hugh Freeze watched from the opposing sidelines. He again bested Auburn when he was the Vanderbilt quarterback last season, and did so in the same venue. 

You could say that Diego Pavia owns the state of Alabama, being that he helped the Commodores shock the Crimson Tide' last season in Nashville, sending shockwaves throughout college football. But, just because the young man walks around with the same type of swagger that most fans would love to have on their team, he's somehow delusional. 

On Tuesday, an interview with the ‘Bussin' With The Boys' crew once again threw him into the spotlight, with his take on playing in the Big Ten, while also throwing some interesting shade at the Tennessee football program, by talking up for his own Vanderbilt team. 

Oh my goodness, the audacity of this quarterback to promote his own football team, while pointing out that they are going to beat Tennessee this season, and subsequently run the state when it comes to NIL. 

"Vanderbilt is gonna run Tennessee after this year," Pavia said on Tuesday. "This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It’s going to happen here at Vanderbilt."

I hate to break it to the Tennessee football program, but he is the most popular player that is playing college football in this state, and I'm dead serious. Sure, the Vols went into Nashville last season and beat up the Commodores in the second half, but let's not go crazy about his comments, especially when you'd love to hear this coming from one of your players. 

If he has to eat crow following the 2025 season, I'm sure he won't come up with excuses as to why it occurred, as that's not really how he's built.

Don't Act Like You Wouldn’t Welcome Diego Pavia, Who Says He Turned Down $4 Million To Stay At Vanderbilt. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)

Diego Pavia Said He Was Offered $4 Million By SEC School To Transfer

Now this is something I can actually believe, given that he is a marketable quarterback, who has also shown he could be a problem for opposing defenses. Are we certain it wasn’t Hugh Freeze that tried to snag him from Vanderbilt? Heck, all he's done while playing college football is cause nightmares for the Auburn coach. 

While discussing the topic of NIL with the Bussin' crew, Pavia pointed out that while Vanderbilt could've paid him $4 million for this season, that would've left the team without much to spend on a supporting cast. 

So, Diego understood that to be successful on the field this season, whatever that looks like, he couldn't take all the money for himself. And, given that he was only making $1,400 a month while playing football at New Mexico State, the bump in pay when entering the SEC was worth it. 

It's also not lost on the quarterback that Vanderbilt gave him a shot to play at the highest level, thanks in large part to his former head coach, Jerry Kill, taking a job on the Commodores staff. 

"The offers were great, but winning is more important to me than anything," Diego Pavia mentioned. "You've got coach (Jerry) Kill and coach (offensive coordinator Tim) Beck relying on you to come back. It's all a money game. You've got other schools offering you $4 million, and (Vanderbilt) doesn't want to pay you $4 million, but (Vanderbilt) took a chance on me, so I understand that."

Oh, and that ‘team mentality’ he has while playing football on West End in Nashville certainly helped Vanderbilt with putting together a formidable roster through the transfer portal. 

"They told me they could pay me ($4 million), but we wouldn't have enough money to go get these guys," Pavia continued. "And it just made sense to me. I value winning over anything else."

So, while everyone clutches their pearls because Digeo Pavia likes to talk, and rarely has a filter, don't act like you wouldn't welcome him to your favorite team with arms wide open.