Paul Finebaum: Diego Pavia is biggest winner from SEC documentary on Netflix

Paul Finebaum called Diego Pavia the biggest winner from the SEC Football: Any Given Saturday documentary on Netflix. The Vanderbilt quarterback has been brash, but mostly has backed it up.

Pavia hasn’t been shy about expectations for Vanderbilt. Making the College Football Playoff is one of them.

But Finebaum appreciates what Pavia is doing to elevate himself and the Commodores program. But the question is, can they back up the talk in 2025 to follow up some big moments last Fall?

“I think in many ways, Diego Pavia has been the story, and he continues to make himself the story,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “But what’s wrong with Vanderbilt being a big topic of conversation? And for all the criticism that he has gotten about some of the things that he has said, even on Netflix, and even when he told us the other day … Do you think he really cares if he doesn’t complete this mission in the playoffs? I mean, Vanderbilt is taken seriously, and I think that’s great.”

After transferring from New Mexico State, Pavia achieved a new level of stardom for Vanderbilt last year. He had 2,293 yards, 20 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 59.4% completion percentage. He added 801 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. 

Pavia and Vanderbilt finished 7-6 last season, winning the Birmingham Bowl over Georgia Tech. The season was highlighted by an upset of Alabama, putting the team on the national map. But can they build on that momentum under head coach Clark Lea?

“This is Vanderbilt’s mission this year, back it up,” Finebaum said. “Don’t fall back because people will not take you seriously if you do. And so this is their moment. And by the way, they worked really hard to get to this moment. And they’re not easy to get to when you start every season ranked number 16 in the SEC.”

Lea and Pavia were central characters throughout the series, with Lea’s always-positive approach to coaching coming through the screen as much as Pavia’s brazen personality.

“My No. 1 objective was to be myself and have our program be represented exactly as we are. So I think, how was it? It was as if they weren’t there,” Lea said. “Now, at the end of the day, we watched the episodes we’re featured in as a team. That was important for us to do because Netflix is going to tell a story, and that story is an important one. And I’m so grateful for their interest in our program, but also in our conference. I think this is such a fun product for fans to take in. I think it’s really cool … as a football fan, if I wasn’t busy this time of year, I would have probably already watched it all.”