In the fall of 2021, Diego Pavia was the quarterback at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college in Roswell, N.M. Less than four years later, the self-proclaimed “small-town kid from Albuquerque, New Mexico” has led the Vanderbilt Commodores to unforeseen heights and become one of college football’s most talked-about figures.

After leading NMMI to a National Junior College Athletic Association championship in 2021, Pavia transferred to New Mexico State, the premier football program in his home state. He once again produced unprecedented on-field results, leading the Aggies to back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1960.

Following two successful seasons, New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill, a longtime college football guru known for turning programs around, accepted a job at Vanderbilt as chief consultant to head coach Clark Lea and senior offensive adviser . Pavia followed his coach to Nashville , bringing his roommate and favorite target, tight end Eli Stowers, along with him. The Aggie invasion immediately infused a jolt of excitement into what had been a dormant program. The ’Dores achieved their first winning season in more than a decade, with the crown jewel being an upset of No. 1-ranked Alabama — the biggest win in program history.

Pavia’s 308-yard, two-touchdown performance, somehow both swashbuckling and gritty, thrust one of the sport’s cult favorites directly into the national spotlight. The natural showman had no hesitation taking center stage.

“That’s just been my personality since [I was] a young kid,” Pavia tells the Scene , his program-altering charisma evident even over the phone.

“As a kid, I dreamed about just being on the big stage. But I can’t do it without the people around me.”

Pavia quickly found himself being profiled by The New York Times and going viral for his unfiltered post-upset interview . Even his flamboyant brothers became a small sensation in the college football world. He was the toast of Nashville.

“Nashville’s a one-of-one city,” Pavia says. “The people here too are just awesome.

“Everyone I run into is super welcoming. … When I first got here, when I was watching some spring practices, there would be a lot of Tennessee orange [and] Alabama gear. And now you don’t see it as much. … You see a lot more V’s on people’s chests.”

But alongside the skyrocketing fame came an unexpected role as the voice of fellow former junior college (JUCO) athletes. The NCAA’s landmark name, image, likeness (NIL) decision, which allows college athletes to be compensated with non-scholarship income, dramatically changed the landscape of college sports. However, the ruling applies only to schools that fall under the NCAA’s jurisdiction — which does not include junior colleges.

In the fall, Pavia sued the NCAA, arguing that having his JUCO seasons count toward his overall college eligibility is an antitrust violation, robbing him of at least one, and potentially two, seasons of compensation. A federal judge in Nashville granted Pavia a preliminary injunction , allowing him another season of eligibility and creating a path for other athletes in similar situations. A Kansas State baseball player has already followed in Pavia’s footsteps, and more lawsuits are expected.

“My mom always taught me, if things ain’t going right, speak up,” Pavia says.

It’s situations like this — not just suing the mighty NCAA, but winning — that make you want to side with Pavia when his confidence comes out. He says “anything short of the College Football Playoff would be a loss” for Vanderbilt next season. Considering the ’Dores have never had a 10-win season in program history, that’s a huge statement. But if anyone can pull it off, it’s Pavia — who went from the “undersized” kid with no Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers to starting for an SEC school and taking down a dynastic Alabama squad.

“God gave me one more chance to complete my goal of winning a national championship, so I’ve got to take full advantage. It’s the last dance.”