Even after a program-altering upset over Alabama last fall, no one inside Vanderbilt’s building is fooling themselves. That win was a flash of brilliance, a fleeting surge. In the SEC, momentum evaporates fast, and one misstep can send you tumbling straight back into the abyss.
Clark Lea’s rebuild remains very much a work in progress. Vanderbilt’s 2025 schedule makes that crystal clear.
The opener against Charleston Southern should be a formality. Anything less than a dominant blowout would sound early alarm bells. From there, the real test begins, and it comes fast. In Week 2, Vanderbilt heads to Virginia Tech. It won’t be a warm-up. Even on the road, Virginia Tech’s aggressive defense and physical style could expose an offense still trying to find its rhythm. For quarterback Diego Pavia and an offensive line searching for cohesion, it’s sink or swim from the first snap.
After that, the Commodores travel to South Carolina, another early litmus test against an SEC program with top-end speed and depth. Then comes Georgia State, a program known for dragging Power Five teams into ugly games, now led by former Georgia assistant Dell McGee. Utah State follows, with its wide-open, pass-happy attack that punishes defenses who so much as blink.
And that’s before Vanderbilt even sees the thick of its SEC schedule. In a league that offers no soft landings, the Commodores will have no time to build confidence slowly. Either they come out sharp from Day 1, or by October, the season could already be tilting sideways.
Vanderbilt’s 2025 schedule will feature a true mixed bag of challenges. That SEC Football Podcast’s host, SEC Mike reports, “they proved a lot better last year but again this is 2025 and we got to see them do it once again, they’re not going to sneak up on anybody and this year the the schedule’s a little bit more daunting.” He also added, “not the first game against Old Charleston whatever they’ll they’ll kill them but at Virginia Tech that’s that’s a tricky game at South Carolina and then Georgia State right out there.”
Last season, Pavia’s flashes of brilliance gave Vanderbilt a pulse. He made headlines with big throws and bigger scrambles, leading the Commodores to their first bowl appearance since 2018. But the bar is different now. The question isn’t whether Pavia can surprise teams, it’s whether he can carry Vanderbilt against the relentless defenses of the SEC week after week.
The offensive line, while improved, remains a question mark. Last season, it struggled against elite pass rushers, and the early schedule leaves no time for gradual fixes.
“Love Diego Pavia, love the tight end, but I’m keeping him right there until further notice,” Mike says. This slate might be an actual test for QB Diego Pavia. He’s got the talent, no question, but can he keep up with the pressure cooker of those consecutive SEC games? The offensive line needs to give him time, and the receivers need to be precise because he’s going to need every weapon fully armed to thread the needle past those stifling defenses. If Pavia stays healthy and minimizes turnovers, he may pull some upsets off. But if the schedule pounds him in the first month or so, it might be a long season for the Commodores.
Courtroom to gridiron
Pavia’s return for the 2025 season didn’t just hinge on a depth chart battle. It took a courtroom fight. Following a swift but critical legal battle with the NCAA, Pavia was granted a preliminary injunction allowing him to play one more year. His lawsuit challenged an NCAA rule that docked Division I eligibility years for players’ time spent at junior college, arguing it was anti-competitive, especially in the modern NIL era. A federal judge agreed, ruling the NCAA’s position “unpersuasive” and issuing an injunction that allows Pavia to put the pads back on in 2025.
The NCAA has already filed an appeal, but Pavia’s eligibility for this season is secure.
The stakes for Pavia personally are massive: he’s projected to approach or exceed $1 million in NIL earnings this year — a massive figure for a college player. After the judge’s ruling, Pavia posted a celebratory message on social media, thanking his attorneys and shouting out Vanderbilt and head coach Clark Lea.
Once again, college football proved itself a sport where touchdowns and courtroom drama go hand in hand. Pavia’s victory was a modern David vs. Goliath, except David had a gunslinger arm, a savvy legal team, and a lot of unfinished business on the field.
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