...
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Vanderbilt finished the college football season 10-2 (6-2 SEC), marking the program’s first-ever 10‑win campaign, sealed with a commanding 45-24 victory at Tennessee.
The driving force behind the run was senior quarterback Diego Pavia, who arrived in 2024 after two seasons at New Mexico State.
Pavia finished the year with career high marks: 3,192 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 826 rushing yards and nine rushing scores — numbers that make him one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.
Read More on NCAA
On Monday, his production secured him a place among the four 2025 Heisman finalists, joining Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.
Vanderbilt wasted no time reacting, sharing the announcement with the caption: “NEXT STOP: NYC.”
Read More: Florida AD Reveals What Went Wrong in Lane Kiffin Pursuit
The group headed to New York reflects as much a clash of stories as of statistics.
Mendoza is the statistical and betting frontrunner, finishing the season with 2,980 yards and a nation-leading 33 passing TDs, while completing 71.5% of his passes and contributing 240 yards on the ground.
The Big Ten championship win over Ohio State, highlighted by his 15 of 23 passing for 222 yards and a touchdown, cemented his position as the betting favorite in multiple sportsbooks.
Sayin, meanwhile, enjoyed a high-volume passing season (3,323 yards, 31 TDs) coupled with exceptional efficiency (78.4%), while Love was the nation's top running back, rushing for 1,372 yards (fourth in the country) and 18 TDs (third) on 199 attempts (6.9 yards per carry).
...
Read More: Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham Suffer Major Transfer Portal Loss
Long dismissed as the SEC's celler dweller, Vanderbilt has surged to national relevance on the back of a single transformative season, driven largely by Pavia.
His Heisman candidacy reflects the program's rapid ascent, an uncommon feat for a Commodore, and underscores how swiftly fortunes can shift in college football.
The showdown between Pavia, Mendoza, Sayin, and Love sets the stage for a dramatic national finish, with the winner to be revealed on December 13.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines