'Even if you're better, my son's playing regardless' – SEC QB drops wild quote about being recruited by Deion Sanders
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia has had quite the college football journey. Before landing at Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season, he spent two seasons at New Mexico State. Pavia's time at New Mexico State came after he spent two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute. Pavia, who didn't receive any Division 1 scholarship offers […]
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia has had quite the college football journey.
Before landing at Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season, he spent two seasons at New Mexico State. Pavia's time at New Mexico State came after he spent two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute.
Pavia, who didn't receive any Division 1 scholarship offers out of high school, thought about transferring to Jackson State after the 2021 season to play for Deion Sanders before he eventually ended up at New Mexico State.
The biggest reason that Pavia didn't transfer to Jackson State is because Sanders told him that his son, Shedeur, was playing regardless — even if Pavia proved to be the better player.
"I was thinking about going to Jackson State," said Pavia during an appearance this week on Bussin with the Boys. "But Deion was so real. He was like, 'Hey, this ain't no 50/50 — my son's playing regardless. Even if you were better, my son's playing regardless'. He's like, 'We're looking for a backup, if you want to come here and be a back up'. And I'm thinking in my head, I ain't no f—ing back up, you know what I mean?"
Pavia obviously wasn't interested in going to Jackson State after hearing that he wouldn't have a chance to win the starting job, but he appreciated that Deion was real and didn't sell him a false bill of goods.
"It was short, but he was real," said Pavia of being recruited by Sanders. "That's what I like."
Jackson State went 12-1 in 2022 with Shedeur under center, so it's not like Coach Prime made a big mistake by passing on Pavia.
But it's still wild to hear a college football coach make that comment to a player. I mean, that's the kind of thing you see in middle school — a parent volunteering to coach so they can guarantee that their son is the starting quarterback or the starting shortstop, even though there are better options available.
Things worked out just fine for Pavia, though. He's entering his second season as a starting quarterback in the SEC, he has a win against Alabama on his résumé, and he's earning some serious NIL money.
