Diego Pavia on status for ReliaQuest Bowl: 'If it’s up to me, I’ll be playing'

Diego Pavia is preparing for Saturday’s Heisman Ceremony. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt as a whole is readying for their chance to finish the season strong with a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The Commodores will face Iowa on New Year’s Eve at Noon ET. If it’s up to Pavia, he’ll be on the field inside Raymond James Stadium when the time comes.

“God willing, I will be playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl,” Pavia revealed via SportsCenter on Saturday. “If it’s up to me, I’ll be playing.”

Despite having nothing left to prove in the college game as a Heisman finalist, it says a lot about Pavia that he wants to be out there for his teammates. He explained what’s going into his yearning to be on the field one more time for Vanderbilt.

“It gives scouts another chance for me to look at our performance against a very good Iowa defense. They’re very tough. They’re going to be really good, and they’re going to bring their A-game. So, I’m going to be super excited about that,” Pavia added. 

“And the second, it’ll be my last game with the guys. I have a lot of feelings and emotions about that. Those guys, they mean the world to me. I wouldn’t let them go to battle without me.”

It’s certainly within Pavia’s character to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Perhaps his agent might question his decision with the NFL looking, but the quarterback wants to end his college career with a bang, it seems.

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Playing in the game would be sweeter if Pavia could do it as a Heisman winner. He’s one of four finalists for the award. The Vandy QB joins Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

All season long, Pavia has been at the center of Vanderbilt’s resurgence. He led the SEC in total offense with 4,018 yards, accounted for 36 touchdowns and became just the fourth SEC player in the last 30 years to record 250 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in a single game — a group that includes Johnny Manziel, Jayden Daniels and Tim Tebow.

Whether the Heisman ends up in his hands or not, Pavia has already rewritten expectations at Vanderbilt. Missing the CFP hurts, but his impact on the program and his place in college football’s national conversation are undeniable.