Diego Pavia breaks down key areas he must grow to reach NFL

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is confident in his game. However, even the most confident players can admit they still have room for improvement. During an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, Pavia relayed where NFL scouts told him he needs to grow to reach the next level.

“They said I need to get maybe better as a passer. Sit in the pocket, don’t leave as much, and so I need to work the pocket more,” Pavia said. “I could get better at everything. But, I mean, we had a lot of a lot of play calls to roll outside the pocket.

“Like, Dylan Stewart off the edges is really good. James Pearce off the edge is really good. So I think doing little things to make sure those guys get off my back and then just letting me make plays — I feel like that’s where I’m best at making plays.”

Whatever Pavia was doing worked. In his debut campaign at Vanderbilt, Pavia completed 59.4% of his pass attempts for 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions.

Pavia was a serious threat in the ground game as well. He amassed 193 carries for 800 yards and eight touchdowns over the course of the season. For his efforts, he was named the 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year.

Diego Pavia’s individual success translated to team success. The Commodores finished the 2024 season with a 7-6 overall record, the program’s best since 2013. Those seven wins included a historic victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide, who were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time of the loss.

Despite Vanderbilt’s success last season, Pavia is far from satisfied. The 24-year-old QB revealed how he’s been working to level up his game this offseason.

“I’ve actually done a lot of reflecting on how I could get better,” Pavia said. “One is being in the training room more. I’m always around the facility. I wake up at 5 every morning, wake up in my bed, pray to God, and then I’m in the facility by about 6:15 [a.m.] and I don’t leave till about 6 [p.m.]. So I’m just doing everything I can possible to stay healthy for the season.

“Another thing too… Staying up late affected me for Sunday, which rolled over to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then it was just like a trickle effect. I feel like Sunday, once I get home after the game, I need to stretch, get in my little thing after the game on Saturday, and then be ready to go for the next week.”