The Vanderbilt football team made much more noise than anyone anticipated in 2024, going 7-6 and winning their first bowl game in over a decade. After being granted a sixth year of eligibility, Diego Pavia believes the Commodores' momentum will continue in 2025 as he aims to take over the state of Tennessee.

Pavia predicts that Vanderbilt will not only beat Tennessee in 2025 but also continue to be the top football school in the state moving forward. The 24-year-old quarterback sees the Commodores' NIL fund growing to match the top programs in the country and slowly turning them into a national powerhouse.

“Vanderbilt is going to run Tennessee after this year,” Pavia said on the ‘Bussin' with the Boys' podcast. “This is gonna be the new staple of college football. It's gonna happen here at Vanderbilt… Everyone wants to come to Tennessee because of Nashville. Then, when we have the most money in NIL, why not come here? So we literally just have to win this year, and throughout the rest of the years, it will take care of itself.”

Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 36-23 in 2024, but it will be an entirely different team in the fall. Despite making the College Football Playoffs, the Volunteers endured the most dramatic offseason, with Nico Iamaleava holding out of spring practices due to an NIL dispute and subsequently transferring to UCLA.

With Pavia returning, many view Vanderbilt as a dark-horse SEC contender in 2025. An upset win over then-No. 1-ranked Alabama highlighted the Commodores' season, but they also suffered competitive three-point losses to top 10-ranked Texas and Missouri. With a few different turns, their season could have been much more impressive than it already was.

Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt football to historic 2024 season

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Vanderbilt's seven-win season and subsequent bowl victory in 2024 marked its best year since James Franklin led them to consecutive 9-4 campaigns in 2012 and 2013. The seven victories were the Commodores' most under head coach Clark Lea, who signed with his alma mater in 2021.

While statistically not its best season in program history, Vanderbilt's 2024 campaign will be remembered by its fans for decades. The team's Week 6 win over Alabama was the program's first over a No. 1-ranked team, and they celebrated it accordingly. The win came off a two-game skid, including a disappointing loss to Georgia State.

Despite the school's prime location in Nashville, Vanderbilt is known for its historically poor football program. The Commodores have long been known as the doormats of the SEC, but are slowly turning their reputation around. Lea and Pavia have the fan base excited for the first time since Franklin left, giving the team legitimate hope for a big season on the horizon.