NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Diego Pavia’s play and his passion have helped change the landscape of Vanderbilt football and the entire NCAA in the last year.

The transfer from New Mexico State set the college football world on fire during the 2024-25 season, highlighted by his performance in Vanderbilt’s upset of top-ranked Alabama. The Crimson Tide weren’t the only school to underestimate Pavia and his new team.

“A lot of people doubted us just, one, because they thought ‘Oh, you’re Vanderbilt,’ you know what I mean? Two, because they thought a lot of us weren’t good enough,” Pavia said. “When we got the reigns of the SEC it was just take over and dominate every single week.”

Pavia helped the Commodores to a 7-6 record, their best finish since the 2013 season. He also led Vanderbilt to a win in the Birmingham Bowl, their first bowl victory since 2013.

“I remember people saying like, ‘This is the SEC, this isn’t New Mexico State anymore.’ I was just like football is football at the end of the day. It’s either you can play football at a high level or you can’t.”

Pavia’s performance week after week earned him the title of SEC Newcomer of the Year. While the season may have surprised some, it didn’t surprise him.

In just one season Pavia has put himself on the map, and his production has made him something of a celebrity in a city full of celebrities. While the win over Alabama will always be remembered in Nashville, his impact spans much further than the black and gold.

“It’s crazy, a lot of people call it the Pavia rule. But it’s different. I feel like it’s a blessing,” Pavia said.

In November 2024, Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA claiming that his time in junior college, where he played for New Mexico Military Institute, should not count towards his years of eligibility. He was granted an injunction in December that allows him one more year of college football. From the start, he knew there could be a ripple effect.

“That was my thought when we first kind of put it into fruition. This is going to affect everyone,” Pavia said. “And I came from JUCO so a lot of my teammates around when it got filed and stuff and it got accepted like, ‘Oh my god. Thank you, bro. This means a lot to us.’”

Suddenly, other former JUCO athletes like Pavia had a way to keep playing. The extra year of eligibility also meant a chance to capitalize on NIL money, which gives student-athletes the chance to earn income based on their name, image, and likeness.

Sam Brumfield is one of the athletes following in Pavia’s footsteps. The linebacker has transferred from Virginia Tech to Memphis for his final year of eligibility.

“I just saw it as another opportunity to come back and play college football and also boost my draft stock,” Brumfield said.

Brumfield thought his college career was done. Instead, thanks to Pavia, he gets to play one more year before he turns his attention to the NFL. Brumfield and Pavia have actually faced off on the football field three times – twice in junior college and once in 2024. Brumfield is 0-3 against Pavia but says he is a great player and appreciates what the quarterback has done for athletes like him.

“Once he started to fight for us having another year, I was all on board. I was 10 toes behind him. I liked what he was doing and what he was fighting for,” Brumfield said. “I would tell him thank you. Thank you for fighting for the guys that didn’t have a voice. Then also, I would just tell him just to keep going and I’m rooting for him.”

Pavia’s life has changed drastically in the last year, and his fanbase has grown quickly. But he says all that matters is focusing on the task at hand: preparing for next season.