No. 2 is No. 2.<\/p>\n
Vanderbilt<\/a> quarterback Diego Pavia<\/a>, who wears No. 2 for the Commodores<\/a>, ranks second on USA TODAY’s latest rankings<\/a> of the top college football quarterbacks, behind Oregon’s Dante Moore.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Alabama<\/a> quarterback Ty Simpson<\/a>, who helped Westview High School<\/a> to the TSSAA Class 2A state championship in 2021<\/a>, is ranked fifth. Simpson and Pavia will face each other Oct. 4 (2:30 p.m., ABC) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama<\/a>, when the Commodores (5-0, 1-0 SEC) take on the Crimson Tide (3-0, 1-0) in an SEC matchup.<\/p>\n NO. 2 NO. 1? Is Diego Pavia greatest Vanderbilt quarterback ever? We asked some former Commodores QBs<\/a><\/p>\n MORE: NCAA appeal in Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit dismissed, status quo remains<\/a><\/p>\n Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel<\/a> is expected to be on Vanderbilt’s sideline during the game. According to On3, Pavia and Manziel have developed a friendship.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Learn from my mistakes, brother. Learn from Johnny. Don\u2019t be Johnny off the field,\u2019 \u201d Manziel told On3<\/a>. \u201cI had so much opportunity and so much (expletive) and threw it away. Diego\u2019s young and lit, and it\u2019s easy in that position to get out of control. But I\u2019m trying to give him the best advice I can. He\u2019s listening. I think he is, so that\u2019s a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n Vanderbilt upset then top-ranked Alabama<\/a> in Nashville last year, setting of a celebration that led goal posts from FirstBank Stadium<\/a> down Broadway and into the Cumberland River.<\/p>\n Both quarterbacks are considered candidates for the Heisman Trophy, according to the latest odds released by FanDuel Sportsbook<\/a>, which have Simpson tied for second at plus-950 with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Moore first (plus-650) and Pavia tied for eighth with Tennessee Vols<\/a> quarterback Joey Aguilar<\/a> (plus-1,700).<\/p>\n Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina<\/a>. <\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vandy’s Diego Pavia ranks high on USA Today’s list of top college QBs<\/a><\/p>\n