By Trey Wallace
Copyright outkick
Standing on the sidelines last weekend as time ticked away, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia turned to the cameras and mouthed, “I told you.” Alongside him, the Commodores celebrated a statement win over No. 11 South Carolina. If you haven’t figured it out by now — this isn’t your grandfather’s Vanderbilt. Heck, it isn’t even the one that had the program on national television and drew College GameDay to Nashville before hosting Auburn. Don’t Act Like You Wouldn’t Welcome Diego Pavia, Who Says He Turned Down $4 Million To Stay At Vanderbilt Yes, it may feel like forever since Vanderbilt mattered in college football. But fans haven’t forgotten 2008, when ESPN’s traveling circus rolled into town for that Auburn game. Nor have they forgotten Franklin’s 2012 team, led by Zac Stacy and Jordan Matthews, which finished 9–4 and matched a school record with five SEC wins. A Different Kind Of Belief In Nashville Around Vanderbilt Today’s Vanderbilt feels different. The stadium has been upgraded, the fans are sticking around, and alumni are proudly sporting the “V” around the country. This isn’t basketball season or baseball season — football has taken center stage. The shift didn’t happen overnight. It started with last year’s loss to Georgia State, and then the historic win over No. 1 Alabama, the program’s first victory over a top-ranked opponent. It grew under Clark Lea, the former Commodore who came home to lead his alma mater. And it crystallized when the school finally invested in football and got results on the field. ‘Hope’ Is Thrown Around A Lot In College Football, But Vanderbilt Has Given Fans Just That, As Texas Arrives All it took was the school buying in, then creating results on the field that could bring forth this success. But, what pundits around college football like myself did not see coming was this young quarterback from New Mexico that has West End feeling a certain way about sports that has been mostly centered around the baseball team for the past 15 years. What no one saw coming was Diego Pavia, a gritty quarterback from New Mexico who has given West End an identity football hasn’t had in decades. He’s become the face of a resurgence that has fans — and opponents — seeing Vanderbilt in a new light. “That’s a football team who has bought in to what Clark (Lea) is trying to build,” one recent Vanderbilt opponent head coach told OutKick. “I’ve seen other coaches try to inspire a team, build their own culture and garner support from the community. The way Vanderbilt is doing it is impressive. And, to do it in Nashville, which has so many different alumni from schools across the country. “It’s impressive, and teams can’t double-dip on opponents in preparation during the week against them any longer. When you can go on the road twice and win like that, that should be a clear warning sign to opposing schools. You don’t see many stories like this in college football, but maybe we should all take a look at how Clark is doing it right now in Nashville.” For Vanderbilt, The Proof Has Been On The Field Skeptics will dismiss Vanderbilt’s opening win over Charleston Southern. They’ll shrug off the lopsided victory at Virginia Tech, who South Carolina had beaten the week before in Atlanta. But the road win at Williams-Brice? That’s different. That one demands attention. Winning in Columbia isn’t easy, and it wasn’t about South Carolina’s quarterback situation. Injured or not, LaNorris Sellers doesn’t play defense. Vanderbilt imposed its will on the Gamecocks. If you think it’s easy to stroll into Williams Brice Stadium and win in the fashion Vanderbilt did, then you don’t understand football. And, I mean this has no slight to LaNorris Sellers, but even if he was healthy for all four quarters, it wasn’t as if he was playing defense. Think back to 2024, when Vandy lost to Georgia State. Many chalked it up as the same old Commodores. But Pavia and his teammates made sure that perception ended right there. Since then, Vanderbilt has beaten Alabama, pushed Texas, and knocked off Auburn, and Kentucky. Even in a loss to Tennessee, they built a lead despite Pavia playing on a wrecked hamstring. But it wasn’t the same old Vandy. Diego Pavia and his teammates made damn sure we knew this would be a different football team moving forward. Even with detractors still floating out the narrative that this would not last, and Vanderbilt was going to have their five minutes of fame, then it was back to reality. The narrative that Vanderbilt would fade back into irrelevance hasn’t held up. Inside the football building, no one is listening to the outside noise. Road Ahead Is Exciting And Full Of Challenges For Clark Lea There’s a difference between belief and proof, and Vanderbilt is stacking proof every week. Heading into Week 4, fans are already circling Week 6. First comes revenge against Georgia State, then Utah State, and then — Tuscaloosa. If Alabama knocks off Georgia next weekend, that Vanderbilt–Alabama rematch becomes must-see television. Pregame shows would flood to T-Town. And sure, maybe Alabama could get its revenge. But even then, Lea’s team has done enough to remain in the Top 15 — where they belong right now as I write this. But again, college football has no idea what to make of this team, because they’re stuck in the past. For the folks in Nashville, they are begging you to keep doubting them. Keep thinking that the only reason Vanderbilt defeated South Carolina was because LaNorris Sellers was hurt in the second half. The truth is simple: this program is different. The Commodores are building something real. Diego Pavia may be the headliner, but Clark Lea is the architect. And together, they’re proving that Vanderbilt football is no longer a punchline. This isn’t about nostalgia or short-lived hype. This is about a program intent on making history of its own. Clark Lea doesn’t have to prove anything to me. I know he’s continuing to build a squad that will cause trouble moving forward, and for the first time in a long time, the fans believe as well.
