Vanderbilt looks to finish the season strong and is currently on a three-game skid. The Commodores had one of their better seasons in recent memory. It will be vital for the Yellow Jackets to watch out for these players in the Birmingham Bowl if they want a chance to come out on top. 

Diego Pavia- Pavia has been in the headlines after he was granted another year of eligibility this past postseason even though he was supposed to be out of eligibility at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The NCAA had to adjust their ruling after they allowed Pavia to play another year. 

Here is more on the situation via Darren Heitner on X: 

“The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has granted a waiver to permit athletes who attended and competed at a non-NCAA school for 1 or more years to remain eligible and compete in 2025-26 if those athletes would have otherwise used their final season of competition during the 2024-25 academic year, and meet all other eligibility requirements,” said Heitner. 

The NCAA also has granted a waiver to former Juco transfers but filed a notice of appeal regarding the case involving Pavia that could prevent it from becoming an annual occurrence. 

Pavia has been one of the best players for the Commodores this season. He’s thrown for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also takes care of the football and only has four interceptions this season. Pavia ranks top 30 in the country in QBR registering a 73.7 rating. Pavia is also a threat on the ground and has rushed for 716 yards and six touchdowns. He helped the Commodores knock off Alabama and Auburn this year for the first time since 1955. One of his best games of the season came in the massive upset over Alabama when he was 16-20 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. His dual-threat ability will be something to watch in this game. 

TE Eli Stowers- Stowers has been a reliable option in the passing game for the Commodores this season. He has 45 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns. One of his best games came against Ball State where he finished with eight catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. Stowers has three games with 100+ receiving yards in 2024. He recorded three consecutive games with a touchdown against Ball State, Texas, and Auburn. One of the struggles this season for the Yellow Jackets has been guarding the tight end position. We saw it earlier in the year against Syracuse with Oronde Gadsden II and several other matchups. It will be important for the Yellow Jackets to account for Stowers and not let him get comfortable on Friday. 

LB Bryan Longwell- Longwell is one of the best defensive players for Vanderbilt this season. He finished the regular season with 80 tackles, four pass deflections, 1.5 sacks and an interception. It was one of his best seasons in his two-year career as he doubled his tackles from his freshman season. In the final game of the regular season against Tennessee, Longwell finished with 10 tackles and two pass deflections. He has three games with 10 or more tackles this season. Longwell is great at running pursuit and filling gaps. He is also an underrated linebacker in coverage that can defend passes coming over the middle. Look for Georgia Tech to try and establish the run early in this game and Longwell will be a name to watch as he tries to slow down one of the best rushing attacks in the country.

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