What Diego Pavia showed Clark Lea, Vanderbilt football teammates as preseason practice begins
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Vanderbilt football kicked off the 2025 season with its first preseason practice on July 30, led by fifth-year coach Clark Lea.
Last year's surprising success with a 7-6 record, including a win over No. 1 Alabama, was sparked by quarterback Diego Pavia, who finished with 28 total touchdowns.
Pavia, 24, now enters his sixth college season, made possible after a lawsuit against the NCAA allowed him to return for 2025.
As practice opens for the new season, all eyes are on Pavia, who looks to lead another successful season for the Commodores.
"(Pavia) seemed to pick up right where he left off," Lea said after practice. "I thought he made good decisions with the ball. On the whole, a good day."
Pavia was not made available to media after practice.
Pavia is one of many returning members of last year's offense, which also includes wide receiver Junior Sherrill and tight end Eli Stowers. Sherrill explained that Pavia's presence on the field is enough to give the entire team hope of another successful season.
"(Pavia) has that dog mentality that we need at this program," Sherrill said. "The leader of the ship, the captain. He brings it each and every day, no matter what."
The first day of practice featured plenty of team and individual work. Quarterbacks swapped in and out of the huddle, working with the offensive line to set protections and directing skill players to open areas of the field.
"Looking at the offense a bunch today, I was impressed with Diego," Lea said. "His focus each snap, his awareness of where the ball needs to go each snap. He's been away at a funeral, so he's just getting back with the team today and getting after it."
Vanderbilt's Clark Lea also impressed with quarterback Blaze Berlowitz
But Pavia wasn't the only quarterback who shined on the first day of practice.
"I thought Blake Berlowitz actually had a good day," Lea said. "It just seemed like he was throwing with confidence. He threw the ball to the open receiver when it was there, he wasn't trying to force things."
Berlowitz, who, like Pavia, transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State, did not appear in a game for Vanderbilt last season.
"I thought (Berlowitz) made a couple plays," Lea said. "One on a glance route that he kind of threw off his back foot, trusted the receiver was going to be there. I thought he made some nice throws on vertical balls as we got down into the red zone area. Just the throw and the catch and the timing. The confidence to know where the ball needs to go.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback appeared in one game for New Mexico State in 2023, completing 10 of 19 passes with one touchdown against Liberty. Many expect him to be Pavia's backup this season.
"(Berlowitz has) the confidence to know where the ball needs to go," Lea added. "He needs to keep building on that, obviously he's got a big role for us."
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football: How Diego Pavia's first preseason practice went
