After throwing for 160 yards and a TD against No.10 LSU last weekend, Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia has entered the Heisman race. The Vanderbilt quarterback will be entering the 2026 NFL draft.
Currently sitting at 6-1 through the first eight weeks of college football action, the Commodores have had their best start to the season since 1950. Currently, they have a 37.24% chance of making the CFPs for the first time in their history.
Who is Diego Pavia’s Mom?
After their historic start to the season, Pavia credited his mother for raising him to be a winner as he vies for the Heisman trophy. The quarterback’s mother is Antoniette Padilla, who raised the Vanderbilt star as a single mother.
Harry Douglas: “What the rest of the country needs to know about Vandy is that they have one of the best players in the country…Diego Pavia.” pic.twitter.com/AwFlscba7g
— Billy Derrick (@billyderrick10) October 25, 2025
“I didn’t grow up with a whole lot. My mom’s a single mom, and she’s the backbone of our family. When I didn’t have a whole lot, it was like, ‘What’s my way out?'” Pavia admitted, sharing that his mother often ate less in order to keep her children fed.
The Vanderbilt quarterback’s father’s name is Roel Pavia. While there is no public information on why Pavia’s parents were not together, the Commedores’ star’s father did reportedly play a vital role in his development.
Antoniette also raised three other children. Pavia has two brothers, Roel Pavia Jr. and Javier Pavia. And a sister, Abrielle, who is currently in eighth grade, plays basketball and resides in New Mexico, where the family grew up. There is no public information on where Pavia’s mother worked at the time.
Coming out of Volcano Vista High School in New Mexico, Pavia had zero FBS scholarship offers and zero stars to his name on recruiting websites. However, his mother always believed he would make it big.
“I always felt like Diego was going to make it. He was always a warrior. One parent used to say, ‘All he needs to do is throw the ball up and catch it. He does everything else on the team.’ He played defense. He played offense,” Antoniette shared.
During his time at Vanderbilt, Pavia has definitely succeeded. After entering the Heisman trophy race, Pavia is the 9th-best quarterback in College Football nationally. With a QB impact score of 87.4, he has thrown for 1569 yards and 15 TDs this season.
Last season, Pavia led the Commodores to their first Bowl eligibility since 2018. And this year, he could do something even more special. In their history, Vanderbilt has never made the playoffs. They are currently on the brink of it this year.
The Commedores and Pavia will continue their hunt for the playoffs today. They take on the No.15 Missouri Tigers in a massive ranked SEC clash. The Tigers are 6-1 this season following a loss to Alabama, the only team that has defeated Vanderbilt this season.
