Everything Vanderbilt football QB Diego Pavia said after second day of practice
Diego Pavia is entering his second season as Vanderbilt's quarterback.
He led the Commodores to a 7-6 record in the 2024 season. That included an upset of Associated Press No. 1 Alabama. And it ended with Vanderbilt football's win over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl under Pavia's direction.
Here is everything the quarterback had to say after Vanderbilt's second day of fall camp.
Diego Pavia on tight end Eli Stowers
"I think if he would have went last year to the draft, he would have been the first tight end off the board if you go look at the film. He's 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and I think he just needs a (college) to pro day and people will see what he's got. He jumps a 43-inch vertical. That kid is too talented, too smart, he used to play quarterback, so it's just easy pickings with him. He's the same dude on and off the field."
Diego Pavia on wide receivers and their opportunities
"I feel like it's going to be really hard this year because you have so much talent around you. You get 60 or 65 plays a game, so it's hard for everyone to touch the ball. Everyone talks about, 'Hey, if you touch that thing, you better take it to the house.' It may be your last opportunity, and it's crazy to think about. Tre (Richardson) is so twitchy and fast, and then so is (Kayleb Barnett). The freshman is like 140 pounds or something, but it's like playing with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the Dolphins. Good luck guarding them."
Diego Pavia on what he can do better, how he can fill stadium
"What I can do is distribute the ball better. Timing routes, I worked on a lot. My feet, I worked on a lot. My job is to fill the seats and the way we fill the seats is with winning. Our goal is the national championship. I really like Tom Brady, he used to move over in the pocket really well. He used to stay in the pocket, drive different lanes. Aaron Rodgers, too, but those guys are special in their own right. I know my ability and what I've got to do to get better."
Diego Pavia on Blaze Berlowitz and quarterback room
"I feel like I'm still in a competition. Blaze, you guys see it, he's lighting it up at any given chance. Same thing happened at New Mexico State, if I don't play good, Blaze is up. That's why I've got to be on my A-game every single day. He's more focused, more dialed in. He's bombing the ball, he's taking the right reads. He don't throw what we would call dumb throws, he's been excellent."
Diego Pavia on the offensive line
"I think our whole line has improved a lot, so I have to get better as a pocket passer. I knew that coming in and I knew that when we were going into the portal and what we were going to do. I knew I had to get better in the pocket to deliver. To get guys like Junior (Sherrill), Martel (Hight) and those guys the ball. That's what I worked on in the offseason."
Diego Pavia on if he'll run the ball as much
"Whatever it takes to win. People obviously want me to stay healthy throughout the season. I think we do that through my reps at the beginning, but I've got to be fresh for January. The most important thing is winning football games. I don't care about anything else. It's like the MLB. You've got to pitch your main guy the first one because there might not be tomorrow."
Diego Pavia on his relationship with former New Mexico State teammate Makhilyn Young
"I live with (Makhilyn Young) and Eli (Stowers), and Trent Hudson for a while. (Makhilyn) is a real genuine dude, who reminds me of Eli's character off the field. He just talks more. I love the way he works, that's what makes me go harder. I wake up every morning and he's jumping rope at 5:30 in the morning, he's getting ready. He's got a daughter, too, so he's got something to work for."