Diego Pavia hits Heisman Trophy pose after TD run vs. LSU

Diego Pavia put the Heisman Trophy committee on notice with his third quarter touchdown run vs. LSU Saturday. The Vanderbilt QB put his team up 31-21 in front of a raucous crowd in Nashville.

“Yup, he did that,” ESPN’s Joe Tessitore said on the ABC broadcast. “Diego Pavia just struck the Heisman post here. It’s October 18, like this thing’s all over the map, right? Carson Beck threw four interceptions last night night and lost. Ty Simpson’s on fire. We’ll see what happens against Tennessee. But the energy and everything that Diego Pavia brings to this, he may be in it.”

Pavia is trying to make his case in front of his own fans, at least that’s a logical choice. But as Tessitore said, the quarterback has major buzz around him when he plays at a high level. You can see the pose below.

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia hit the Heisman and paid homage to Johnny Manziel 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ukQZ67VIDs

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2025

Coming into the game, through six games this year, Pavia had 1,409 yards, 14 touchdowns, four interceptions, a 71.4% completion percentage, 352 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was on pace to break his totals from last season.

With a 31-21 lead going into the fourth quarter, Pavia played well. He was 12-of-19 passing for 148 yards, one touchdown and 11 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

Pavia’s put Vanderbilt on his back, getting them to 5-1 on the season and ranked No. 17 going into Saturday. While he couldn’t back up his trash talk vs. Alabama, the team’s lone loss, Pavia has certainly paid off the investment made by head coach Clark Lea. Maybe they’ll continue their partnership in the future.

“I love playing for Coach Lea,” Pavia said. “You know, I told him that I hope he gets an NFL job and he takes me with him. That’s how much I love that guy. I appreciate him for everything he’s done for me. I wouldn’t want to go to battle with any other head coach in the SEC.”