Diego Pavia Fires Back After Vanderbilt Snubbed From CFP Top 10

Vanderbilt football just finished one of the greatest seasons in school history, but the celebration didn’t last long. The Commodores went 10–2 — their first-ever regular season with double-digit wins — yet somehow still fell short of the College Football Playoff picture. And quarterback Diego Pavia isn’t staying quiet about it.

Speaking with ESPN’s Matt Barrie, Diego Pavia didn’t hide his frustration after seeing Vanderbilt land at No. 14 in the final CFP rankings on December 2.

That frustration makes sense. Vanderbilt crushed Tennessee 45–24 in its season finale and put together wins over South Carolina, LSU, and Missouri — all solid SEC programs. But the committee still slotted BYU, Miami, and even three-loss Texas ahead of them. Texas did beat Vanderbilt 34–31 early in the season, but its other losses, including a 29–21 stumble against Florida, raised plenty of eyebrows. Miami’s season-opening win over Notre Dame and BYU’s victory over Utah gave those teams boosts the Commodores couldn’t match in the committee’s eyes.

Diego Pavia’s message was simple: “We’ll play one through 12 anywhere, any place. Just give us a chance.”

There was even talk of a possible “13th game,” something teams can schedule only if they play in Hawaii. Vanderbilt explored the idea, though it would have required finding another fringe contender — like Miami, Texas, or Utah — willing to make the trip with almost no planning time. Head coach Clark Lea wasn’t ruling it out. “Have your bags packed,” he told the team.

While the playoff snub stings, Diego Pavia did get some major good news. His NIL valuation skyrocketed this season. By November 24, he’d earned around $2 million, placing him 20th among all college athletes. Over the next 10 weeks, his value increased by 22% — a massive $442,000 jump — bringing him to $2.5 million as of December 4.

That surge pushes him into a tie with Ohio State’s Julian Sayin for the 10th-highest NIL value in college football. Pavia has attracted deals with big-name brands like Dr Pepper, Ferrari, Nike, and Lululemon. Not bad for a player who turned down a $4 million NIL offer from another school in the offseason to stay loyal to Vanderbilt.

And his performance on the field backs up the buzz. Diego Pavia is currently tied with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at +160 for the Heisman odds on FanDuel, as of December 3. Even his sense of humor is showing up. After Senator Marco Rubio joked that Donald Trump should get involved if Miami missed the playoff, Pavia chimed in, voting for a 16-team playoff format.

Vanderbilt may be on the outside looking in, but Diego Pavia is making sure their voice — and his — is heard.

Also Read: Sitake Stays at BYU, But His Own Words Hint at a Rushed Decision