Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has ignited college football with his fearless play and sharp trash talk, earning praise from On3 analyst J.D. Pickell as a “little bit psychopathic” competitor whose mindset fuels upsets like Vanderbilt’s stunning 2024 win over Alabama.
Pavia’s journey from overlooked recruit to SEC disruptor exemplifies his relentless drive in transforming the Commodores into a team to watch. His verbal sparring with Alabama’s Ryan Williams has supercharged their rivalry, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash come October 4.
Diego Pavia’s Underdog Mentality Is His Secret
JD PicKell, a national college football analyst for On3 and host of “The Hard Count” podcast, has emerged as one of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia’s biggest fans. On a recent episode of his podcast, he couldn’t hold back his excitement about Pavia’s approach.
“Diego Pavia is all the way about winning football games, and he’s not listening to the outside noise,” Pickell said. “The best competitors are just like Diego Pavia — a little bit psychopathic, a little bit delusional in their belief system.” PicKell tied that mindset directly to Vanderbilt’s Alabama stunner.
Oddsmakers had the Commodores as 23.5-point underdogs, fresh off Alabama’s win over Georgia. Yet Pavia, unfazed by the doubters, led his squad to victory. PicKell argued that this “delusional” confidence isn’t a flaw, but rather a strength, a key reason Vanderbilt pulled off the unthinkable.
He didn’t stop there. PicKell also defended Pavia’s trash talk, calling it a vital piece of the competitive puzzle.
“If you have a problem with this, you probably never played competitive sports, or you just maybe don’t understand trash talk,” he said. “I love so much the trash-talking from Ryan Williams and Diego Pavia… because you actually have to back up trash talk.” For PicKell, Pavia’s words are a promise he’s ready to cash on the field.
The Vanderbilt-Alabama rivalry got a fresh jolt from some sharp back-and-forth between Pavia and Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams. After Vanderbilt’s 2024 upset, Williams fired a shot on social media, vowing payback in their next clash.
“We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer,” he posted, casting Vanderbilt as the “ant” in Alabama’s crosshairs.
Pavia didn’t blink. He clapped back on his Instagram story with a reply dripping in swagger, though the exact wording remains under wraps.
Pickell, for one, ate it up. “I love this. I think this is awesome,” he said on his podcast. “I appreciate so much Diego Pavia and Ryan Williams bringing this extra juice.” The sparring has lit a fuse under both fan bases, turning a standard SEC matchup into a grudge match with serious stakes.
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Pavia, hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, starred at Volcano Vista High School, where he racked up 1,485 passing yards and 14 touchdowns on 108-of-165 completions, plus 464 rushing yards and nine scores. Yet, no Division I schools came calling with scholarships.
Only two Division II programs, Western Colorado and Western New Mexico, offered him a shot at quarterback, with many pointing to his height as a red flag. According to Wikipedia, Pavia shrugged it off. “I just think they were scared of my height. People like to focus on height, weight, and 40-yard dash times. I like to go off film.”
Pavia landed at New Mexico State and spent two years sharpening his game under offensive coordinator Tim Beck. In his final season there, he threw for 1,728 yards and 21 touchdowns, proving he could sling it with the best. When Beck joined Vanderbilt in 2024, Pavia followed, and his arrival shook things up fast.
Beyond the stats, Pavia’s edge lies in his headspace. Teammates and coaches call it a “dog mentality,” a refusal to flinch no matter the odds. That fire has turned heads and sparked a turnaround for a program long seen as an SEC underdog.
Regardless of trash talk, this rematch on October 4 in Tuscaloosa couldn’t be bigger. For Alabama, it’s a mission to “return things to normal.” For Vanderbilt, another shocker could mean big things for Commodores football.
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