NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is among the top 25 quarterbacks in the country in contention for the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® it was announced Wednesday by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.
Narrowed down from an original 58-man watch list, the honor is given annually to the nation’s top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class, embodying not only outstanding on-field performance but also character, citizenship, and leadership. As the season progresses, semifinalists and finalists will be named prior to the award being presented at a ceremony in December in Baltimore, Unitas’ hometown.
Thus far this season, Pavia has completed 105-of-161 pass attempts for 1,409 yards and 14 touchdowns while also leading the team with 352 yards on 60 rushes in helping the Commodores to a 5-1 start and place in the top 20 of both the Associated Press and AFCA coaches’ polls. He currently leads the SEC in touchdown passes, stands second with a 71.4 completion percentage and 168.7 pass efficiency rating, is third in passing yards and fifth with 1,761 yards of total offense, ranking among the top 25 nationally in each category.
Pavia was named the Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week, to the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 and a Manning Award Star of the Week after tying a school record with five touchdown passes and recording 400 yards of total offense in Vandy’s Sept. 27 victory over Utah State, and he’s been named the Offensive Player of the Week by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on four occasions thus far this season.
Entering the Dores’ Oct. 18 matchup against LSU, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, resident stands sixth on Vanderbilt’s all-time list with 34 touchdown passes, is eighth with 4,855 yards of total offense and 10th with 3,702 passing yards. He also needs seven completions to move into the top 10 in the Commodores’ record book in that category as well.
The Dores will play host to the Tigers in the first of back-to-back contests at FirstBank Stadium against nationally-ranked opponents, with game time and television designation still to be determined.
