NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt football’s Diego Pavia is a finalist for a second national award with the announcement Thursday that he is one of 10 candidates for the Manning Award.
The only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates’ bowl and playoff performance, the honor will be announced after the College Football Playoff national championship game in January. Pavia is also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
One of the primary contenders for the Heisman Trophy, he was named a Manning Award Star of the Week five times during the 2025 campaign to go along with three different SEC Player of the Week awards.
Pavia has recorded school season record totals with 3,192 yards passing, 27 touchdown passes and 4,018 yards of total offense this fall, with his 826 rushing yards leading the Commodores as well. With nine additional scores on the ground, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native has been responsible for 218 points—a figure that stands third nationally—and he also ranks fourth in the country with a 171.5 pass efficiency rating while pacing the SEC in six different statistical categories.
His efforts have helped Vandy’s offense lead the nation in yards per play and team passing efficiency while averaging 39.4 points and 468.5 yards per contest. The Commodores are currently among the top 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings as well as the Associated Press and AFCA coaches’ polls and will enter postseason action with a 10-2 overall mark, the first time in school history the Dores have posted a double-figure victory total.
