The Vanderbilt Commodores are rocking the boat in the SEC, making themselves a threat in a way that they’ve rarely been as a program. So much of that success has come down to quarterback Diego Pavia, who is only here after battling for another year of eligibility over the offseason.

Last year, Pavia and his attorneys had a motion for a preliminary injunction granted by the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee. At the time, they argued that JUCO eligibility rules violate antitrust laws. That allowed him to play in 2025. Now, it appears Pavia’s attorneys are looking to continue that battle. It was reported by On3’s Pete Nakos that his attorneys set the table for a seventh season in 2026. Pavia would later take to Twitter. There, he confirmed that this would be his last season in college.

Head coach Clark Lea is aware of all of that, but none of it is his focus right now. Instead, as he explained on the Weekly SEC Teleconference, that he wants to focus on this week’s game and, as far as Diego Pavia is concerned, getting him his shot at the NFL next season.

“I don’t pay a lot of attention to all of that at this point,” Clark Lea said. “We’re focused pretty intensely on the climb we face each week. This week is Georgia State. Obviously, I love Diego and support him all the way. What he and I talk about is his launching into an NFL career. That’s what I want to see him do. He deserves that opportunity.”

Diego Pavia has had a long journey to get to this point. Now 24 years old, he began in 2020 with New Mexico Military, a JUCO school. He would later transfer to New Mexico State, where he was key in helping turn that program around, before moving to Vanderbilt ahead of 2024.

In his 16 games at Vanderbilt, Pavia has completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,938 yards and 27 touchdowns to six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 930 yards and another eight touchdowns. Along the way, he got the Commodores back to a bowl, upset Alabama, and now has Vanderbilt 3-0. Despite all of that, he hasn’t gotten much attention from NFL Draft analysts. Still, there’s plenty of time in 2025 to change that.

“Obviously, week in and week out, he’s proving he can do it at this level, at the highest level,” Lea said. “And so I’ll be excited to see him pursue that when his time here is done. Right now, we’re gonna try to get everything we can out of this season, which means we’re going to get everything we can out of this week.”

Diego Pavia was arguing that JUCO seasons shouldn’t count against his NCAA eligibility, as a violation of antitrust laws. Now, his attorneys are adding to that. They’ve shared that unless the rules are not found to be subject to antitrust, they’re going to stack on a challenge to the redshirt rule and ask for an injunction so Pavia can play in 2026. That would, in theory, grant him a seventh college season.

For now, Pavia and Lea aren’t worried about that. The focus is on 2025, and as they’ve both pointed out, it does appear that the ruling won’t keep Pavia at Vanderbilt past this season.