"Who is Diego Pavia?": Josh Pate hits back at Vanderbilt QB for throwing him under the bus in viral interview

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia turned out to be an absolute steal for coach Clark Lea, since he led the Commodores to their first-ever winning season after 11 years. He wrapped up last season with a 7-6 record and now looks to make a mark in the SEC for one last time after a brief tussle over his NCAA eligibility in the offseason.

The 24-year-old raised eyebrows last week for his spontaneous reaction to not knowing Josh Pate -- who has been a prominent voice of college football for years. While speaking to "Bussin' with the Boys" last week, Pavia refused to identify Pate until he saw a picture of the podcaster on the screen.

After knowing who he was and learning that Pate was a fan of his game, the QB changed his tone and apologized in a light-hearted manner. This didn't go well with Pate, who exhibited his displeasure on his weekly podcast. Although sarcastically, he mentioned that Pavia's reaction was unbelievable.

“Who is Deigo Pavia? That's all I want to say," Pate said. "We support our local teams, and we put Deigo Pavia in our SEC quarterback power rankings the other day, at the expense of Georgia and Alabama's starting quarterback.

"Did we not and what's the thanks that we get, we get blindsided by treachery, not even on our show, and at least come on my show and ask, who are you?”

Pate further grilled Pavia for not acknowledging him.

"He comes on another show," Pate added. "Who is Josh Pate? Well, let me tell you something. I don't forget, and in this case, I don't even forget, but I do appreciate, I do appreciate our friends down there. The boys on the bus, they at least held up their end of the social contract.

"Diego Pavia, apparently not quite ready to do the same. What kind of program is Clark Lee running when his players are not exposing themselves to the noise outside the program?”

Diego Pavia looks to take down rival Tennessee after Alabama dominance

The Vanderbilt QB rose to prominence after his 40-35 upset win over mighty Alabama in October. He became an overnight celebrity for clinching the first-ever victory against Bama since 1984 and finally ending a long-standing losing streak.

While speaking to "Bussin’ with the Boys" last week, Pavia mentioned that next up is Tennessee.

The in-state rivals had been too strong for the Commodores, especially in the last six faceoffs, where the Vols won all the games. He wants to set a precedent of a winning culture in his final year before he potentially takes to the NFL in 2026.