Pavia Placed on Additional Award Watch List

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia has been included on the watch list this fall for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award it was announced on Tuesday by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.

The award—presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class—is the fifth that the Commodore is in contention for this season, as he has also been named to watch lists for the Walter Camp and Maxwell Player of the Year Awards, the Davey O’Brien Award and the Manning Award.

Pavia was voted the SEC Newcomer of the Year in 2024, also earning Newcomer of the Year honors from the Associated Press and SEC co-Newcomer of the Year recognition from USA Today. A second-team AP All-SEC selection, the graduate student was chosen the Birmingham Bowl Most Valuable Player as well after recording 245 yards of total offense and accounting for all five Vandy scores in a 35-27 defeat of Georgia Tech.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, he connected on 177-of-298 passes for 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns last fall, adding 801 yards and eight scores rushing. Pavia was named the SEC Player of the week twice a year ago, first when he totaled 294 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to help the Dores to a win over Virginia Tech to begin the campaign and then after he posted 308 yards of total offense and threw for two scores in a win over No. 1 Alabama.

Vanderbilt opens 2025 in less than two weeks with Charleston Southern scheduled to visit FirstBank Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Aug. 30. Options for season tickets, mini-plans and single-game tickets are available here for the Commodores’ seven home games this fall.