Diego Pavia, known for his roles as an accomplished American football quarterback currently plays for Vanderbilt Commodores and formerly for New Mexico State. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Pavia’s early experiences in playing football shaped his career, beginning with a triumphant high school career at Volcano Vista High School where he demonstrated his immense prowess. Pavia successfully completed 108 of his 165 passing attempts, secured 1,485 yards and made 14 touchdowns to five interceptions. Besides, he also rushed for 464 yards and made nine touchdowns.

The burgeoning successes brought Pavia to the decision to commit to playing JUCO football at the renowned New Mexico Military Institute. His career flourished further at the institute where he completed 189 of his 323 passing attempts for 2,644 yards and 31 touchdowns with a minimal four interceptions. Supplementing his exceptional skills, he also rushed for a notable 1,107 yards and made 15 touchdowns. The 2022 season witnessed Pavia’s remarkable performance leading his team to win a National Championship.

Pavia’s professional journey took a turn when he decided to commit and play college football at the New Mexico State University. However, his first stint with the Aggies didn’t turn out smoothly. In the team’s season opener against Nevada, Pavia, struggling with his performance, turned over the ball four times in the first half leading to his replacement by Gavin Frankes and a resulting loss of 23–13.

Despite an arduous start, Pavia remained unperturbed. His determined spirit led him to get his next start against UTEP. The game, which ended in an unfortunate strip sack by Brenton Thompson with only a spare of three seconds, however, was a silver lining to Pavia’s thought to be a dwindling career.

The recapitulation of Pavia’s career remained incomplete without his remarkable night against Liberty. Against the heavy 24.5 point underdogs, Pavia single-handedly shocked the audience by completing sixteen of his twenty-one passes and securing 214 yards with three touchdowns. Showing dexterous expertise on the ground, he rushed for 125 yards and scored three touchdowns. Pavia was duly recognized for his extraordinary performance against Liberty and was named one of the Manning stars of the Week and the Manning Quarterback of the Week.

Pavia’s last hurrah, the Aggies’ season finale against Valparaiso brought a wave of resurgence in his performance. With nine for thirteen on his passing attempts, 323 yards and four touchdowns, Pavia left an indelible mark. Despite an unfortunate hamstring injury in the second quarter, Pavia led his team to a win of 65–3 in the game making them eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2017.

The Aggies’ bowl game against Bowling Green saw Pavia in his promising form, completing 17 of his 29 passing attempts for 167 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Notably, he also rushed for 65 yards. His game-winning play in the fourth quarter elevated the spirits of the Aggies leading to a thrilling win of 24–19. Acknowledging Pavia’s contributions, he was named the Quick Lane Bowl MVP.

Pavia wrapped the season with stellar stats, completing 101 of his 190 passing attempts for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns to six interceptions with 508 rushed yards and six touchdowns. The College Football Network recognized Pavia’s spectacular performance throughout the year, providing him with the All Independent first team award.

In late December of 2023, Pavia announced his entry into the transfer portal. One month later, on January 18, 2024, Pavia disclosed his transfer to Vanderbilt, marking another exciting trajectory in his continuously evolving football career.