Overview
- Diego Pavia confirmed he will start for Vanderbilt against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.
- Tight end Eli Stowers will sit out to prepare for the NFL, a decision coach Clark Lea publicly supported on Dec. 28.
- Pavia’s 2025 season featured 3,192 passing yards, 826 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns, earning a second-place Heisman finish.
- He remains a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules tied to junior-college seasons, with recent filings citing the James Nnaji Baylor case.
- Pavia has appeared in all 25 Vanderbilt games since transferring from New Mexico State and is expected to bolster his draft résumé at the Senior Bowl.