Vanderbilt is the Most Compelling Team at SEC Media Days, and there's a Lesson for Kentucky

Clark Lea put people to sleep at SEC Media Days. It was a tradition the Vanderbilt head coach picked up from his predecessor. That’s just what Vanderbilt football is. They’re the boring cellar-dweller that every team marks as a win on their schedule. In 2025, that is no longer the case.

The Commodores shocked the world by upsetting No. 1 Alabama, en route to a 7-6 finish in Clark Lea’s fourth season at his alma mater. It was sparked by a charismatic quarterback who captivated the nation by speaking without a filter at every given opportunity. Diego Pavia had another opportunity in front of a large crowd at the College Football Hall of Fame. One asked him if Vanderbilt needed a big personality to make a statement in the SEC.

“Maybe we just needed a quarterback,” Pavia said bluntly.

Pavia wore a tuxedo to SEC Media Days a few weeks after he said the Commodores were going to “run Tennessee” this year. “This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It’s gonna happen here at Vanderbilt.”

He’s brash and bold in front of a microphone and on the football field. Pavia doesn’t light up the box score, but he gets the hard yards his team needs to win by putting his body on the line. As Lea put it, “He’s an energy source for Vanderbilt University.”

When Vanderbilt needed to make winning plays, they looked to their energy source. Whether it’s a game-winning drive or a game of stall-ball, like the one they won in Lexington, Pavia is prepared for the moment.

“I just tell them to put the ball in my hands. I’ll make something shake,” he said.

From afar, Pavia appears to be full of bluster, without a ton of talent to back it up. Don’t be fooled. Behind all of the talk is a competitor, and it’s evident in how he reflects on last season. It wasn’t a success because they fell short of a championship. The Virginia Tech game-winning drive wasn’t the first that came to mind; it was a game-losing one at Missouri.

“I put that game on myself. I put all the losses on me, but that game specifically on myself, because I didn’t finish the job. This year, I got to prepare myself mentally to be in those positions more, because we’re as close to 2-10 as we are 10-2. When those games come down to the wire, I’ll be prepared,” said Pavia.

That’s the sign of an ultimate competitor. The losses hurt more than the wins feel good.

People are standing on chairs to talk to the Vanderbilt QB. What a time to be alive. pic.twitter.com/vEMBWVt0e8

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) July 14, 2025

A Lesson Kentucky can Learn from Vanderbilt

That 10-2 line Pavia used is one Clark Lea also shared at the SEC Media Days podium. Vanderbilt was in eight one-score games a year ago and went 4-4 in those contests. To win at a place like Vanderbilt or Kentucky, you have to win within very slim margins.

“We have to take pride in our performance in the areas that we control. This includes pre-snap and post-whistle penalties, errors of execution. These self-imposed negatives, combined with possession of the ball to be the foundation of winning football at Vanderbilt.”

Clark Lea’s message is not so different than one Mark Stoops has deployed in the past at Kentucky. During the Wildcats’ best years, they possessed the ball and didn’t shoot themselves in the foot. Mark Stoops teams had a chip on their shoulder, another phrase Lea borrowed today. That is a winning formula for teams who are punching above their weight in the toughest conference in football. The only way to do that is if everyone is on the same page.

“We want to make life miserable for the teams we play against because of how we play the game, the energy we bring every time we step on the field. This is what makes us special. Not our buildings or banners. It’s our people,” said Lea. “Our collective heartbeat is our edge.”

Clark Lea used the roadmap Mark Stoops took to success in the SEC. Kentucky has to rediscover that path by getting every member of the organization on the same page to win within the slightest of margins.