David Pollack labels Diego Pavia 'the most entertaining player to watch in college football'

Diego Pavia made a name for himself last season after transferring into Vanderbilt and leading the program to stunning wins against powerhouses such as Alabama. The veteran quarterback hasn’t slowed down this year. On Monday’s episode of See Ball Get Ball, college football expert David Pollack raved about Pavia.

“Pavia is the most entertaining player to watch in college football,” Pollack said. “I don’t care what the numbers say, I’m just telling you. Like, that dude, he’ll pump fake twice on a play. He’ll run somebody over. He’ll option it, pitch it, run somebody over. Like, he is absolutely fantastic, must-see television every single week.”

Despite Pavia’s success last season, some fans were skeptical that the 2024 campaign was a fluke. In fairness, Pavia made it easy this offseason for fans to look at him like he’s crazy, declaring Vanderbilt’s goal is to win the national title.

For reference, last year was Vanderbilt’s first winning season since 2013 and the program hasn’t won a conference title since 1923. Nonetheless, while fans laughed at Pavia’s confidence, the quarterback went to work.

Vanderbilt is 3-0 this season, most recently dominating South Carolina in a 31-7 blowout. The Gamecocks were ranked No. 11 in the country at the time of the matchup.

In the win, Pavia completed 18-of-his-25 pass attempts for 177 yards and two touchdowns, compared to one interception. Pavia isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, either. He notched 24 yards in the win as well, along with a highlight block.

Diego Pavia has completed 73.5% of his pass attempts for 645 yards and seven TDs this season thus far. With their next two games against Group-of-Five opponents, the Commodores could be rolling into Week 6 with a 5-0 record.

Pavia’s lofty goals have only become more realistic as the season has progressed. Teams like Texas and Alabama, that entered the season as SEC favorites, have already proven beatable. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea is confident going into any battle with Pavia by his side.

“He’s a great player,” Lea said of Pavia. “Anytime he’s taking us out, I’ve got confidence that we’re gonna win. But it’s the unseen things, sometimes, that make the difference. The quiet connections, the belief he has and in his teammates.

“… “When your leaders do that, when your leaders play that way, it gives everyone a license to play that way. So, we believe in him, we think he’s the best there is, and I’m happy for him to be having success.”