Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia is headed to Baltimore, Maryland. And before being signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), he made sure he set up his alma mater to succeed the same way he did at Vanderbilt.

Pavia, the former Vanderbilt Commodore, is one of the main reasons the Nashville-based school was able to secure five-star QB Jared Curtis.

"I'm going to win the national championship that you couldn't win," Pavia revealed Curtis' message at the NFL combine.

Pavia did not win the national title at Vanderbilt, but he was the one who led them to their best records in recent school history, finishing 10-3.

The dual-threat QB finished the season with 3,539 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns. Pavia also had 862 rushing yards for 10 rushing scores. 

"I hope they keep soaring through the roof, and then next year, they go 12-0 and then go to the playoffs," Pavia further said.

For the Commodores, they now have Jared Curtis, who had originally committed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, who will stay at home in Nashville, Tennessee, and call plays for Vanderbilt.

Going 12-0 will be a tall order and is a lot of pressure on the freshman QB, Curtis. 

"I think the biggest thing was staying home and just building something that's never been done before and kind of continuing and improving what Diego [Pavia] started," Curtis said back in December.

The Vanderbilt Commodores football team has been chasing relevance for decades, with their last recognized national title dating all the way back to 1922.

Curtis becomes the highest-ranked commitment in school history. The No. 1 prospect coming out of the state of Tennessee and the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2026 will play football at FirstBank Stadium in the fall of 2026. 

It was not only Pavia who helped flip Curtis to Vanderbilt, but there were also other parties involved in this process. 

How Did Vanderbilt Sign Jared Curtis?

On October 10, during Vanderbilt’s bye week, Diego Pavia attended Nashville Christian's high school football game and got to see Jared Curtis in motion, and was blown away by what he saw.

"I showed up, and I'm watching this kid play quarterback, and I'm kind of in disbelief," Pavia told The Tennessean. "I'm like, 'Does this kid have any offers?'"

Pavia attended the game with his friend Josh Smith. He then responded to Pavia’s question, saying that Curtis has committed to play football at Georgia. 

Along with Pavia, Theo Von, and Nate Bargatze also helped in this mission to secure Jared Curtis at Vanderbilt, who emphasized Vanderbilt's "unique atmosphere."

Eventually, the highly sought-after quarterback visited Vanderbilt and sat down with head coach Clark Lea, who has helped transform the football program in Nashville, TN. 

"He was paying attention to who we were, what we were saying, and what the opportunity looked like here," Lea said. "I think he was just drawn in by all that. I was thrilled that he was really scrutinizing our program and was serious about this being a home for him."

It has been an amazing two years for the Commodores. Coach Lea was linked to head coaching roles at Penn State, which was put to bed on November 28th, when Lea signed a new six-year deal to remain at his alma mater. 

Three days later, on December 2nd, five-star QB Jared Curtis flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt, remaining in-state. Pavia’s mission was complete, and Curtis is the potential star to bring a championship to Vanderbilt.

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote