Inside Blaze Berlowitz' Waiting Game Behind Diego Pavia and Efforts to Develop in the Process

Nashville–In a sense, Blaze Berlowitz has always seemed to be in Diego Pavia’s shadow.

Ever since Berlowitz arrived at New Mexico State two summers ago as a three-star freshman, Pavia has always been the starter. Berlowitz has gotten used to the idea that he can put in all the early or late work–like he did after Thursday’s practice–he wants to and could hit all the benchmarks of growth that his coaching staff had set for him, but he still wouldn’t be the starter.

Pavia has taken Berlowitz under his wing and has gone out of his way to be complementary towards him, but it doesn’t change his potential backup’s reality. While other guys his age are leading programs, he’s doing what he can to lock up the first reps behind Pavia each day at practice.

“It is what it is,” Berlowitz said Thursday. “Everyone’s journey is different. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from Diego. He’s trying to get his just like I’m trying to get mine. So, I’ve just been encouraging him, trying to be the best teammate that I can be and at the same time getting better and pushing him.”

As Berlowitz stands off to the side of the field at FirstBank Stadium and addresses the five media members on hand, he likely knows that a good portion of the questions he’ll receive are Pavia related and that the crowd for him is significantly smaller than it was for his older teammate around this time last week. The Oklahoma native knows there’s no room for jealousy or pettiness, though.

The Vanderbilt backup’s mindset is likely best articulated in his Instagram messaging that includes posts referencing that “everything, in time” will come and that “it’s just a matter of time.”

Berlowitz isn’t all over Netflix or Twitter these days like Pavia, but that’s no excuse for the junior quarterback to stop developing. In Pavia’s mind, it’s also no excuse to count out his backup from challenging him more than anyone outside Vanderbilt’s quarterback would assume.

“I feel like I’m still in a competition,” Pavia said after Vanderbilt’s second day of fall camp. “Blaze, you guys see it, he’s lighting it up. In any given chance, the same thing that happened at New Mexico State, if I don’t play good then Blaze is up. That’s why I got to bring my A game every single day.”

Perhaps a year ago Berlowitz wouldn’t have been perceived as much of a competitor to win Vanderbilt’s starting job–and realistically won’t start over Pavia nowadays–but, Pavia has watched his potential successor transform from a relatively raw young guy with tools to a playable piece if things go haywire with Pavia’s health.

Berlowitz hasn’t had to grow up as quickly as others have, but as 2024 backup Nate Johnson entered the transfer portal the Vanderbilt junior wasn’t naive to the idea that his 2025 offseason is perhaps his most important yet.

“It’s time to step up,” Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck and quarterbacks coach Garrett Altman told Berlowitz after Johnson made his decision to depart from the program.

Vanderbilt’s spring ball sessions represented an opportunity for Berlowitz to demonstrate that he’d grown up since joining Beck and Altman at New Mexico State in 2023.

Berlowitz has perhaps the best combination of pure arm talent and ability to move the pocket in Vanderbilt’s quarterback room, but as it stands he’s yet to put it all together as a college quarterback or take a significant amount of snaps. Vanderbilt’s staff feels as if it’s nowhere near time to give up on the former New Mexico State quarterback, though.

They’ve seen too much evidence of their theory that he could eventually be a difference maker for them. They’ve seen too much growth. They’ve seen him take too many steps towards becoming a starting-caliber quarterback in the SEC over the past few months.

“This last spring was a big jump for him,” Altman said. “Blaze has done a good job, got to keep getting better. Sitting behind Diego for the last couple years has really helped him, but he’s got to continue to learn and take the next step and we still have full faith in him to do the job.”

Vanderbilt’s coaching staff likely knows that there will be some level of drop off no matter who it puts out there if Pavia has to miss time, but its words have appeared to demonstrate that Berlowitz has built up a level of trust to run its offense effectively. He's still yet to officially earn Vanderbilt's backup job, but he appears to be noticeably coming into his own.

"This spring opened a lot of people's eyes," Vanderbilt center Jordan White said after Vanderbilt’s spring game. "Blaze is a hell of a quarterback."

In some ways Berlowitz is more physically imposing than Pavia, but Pavia’s ability to take care of the ball has often separated him from his potential successor. It’s the sign of an older, more experienced quarterback that can win in the SEC.

At this stage, Berlowitz is inching towards becoming that type of player. Perhaps there’s still too much fluctuation in his ball security at this stage, though.

Berlowitz’ circus throw to Vanderbilt tight end Cole Spence in its spring game was eye opening. So was his seemingly forced throw in that same game that resulted in an interception by Vanderbilt freshman corner Cayden Daniels, though. The flashes are there more consistently for Berlowitz than anyone but Pavia in Vanderbilt’s quarterback room, but if the interceptions eclipse the flashes, then the flashes will become somewhat of a distant memory.

The Vanderbilt backup isn’t naive to that. He knows that if he is, then the plays reminiscent to the ones a freshman would make can keep him off the field.

“I’m just trying to work it every day in the ball security segment and then obviously the 11-on-11 segment,” Berlowitz said in regard to ball security. “That’s what I’ve been trying to improve in my game the most, is just taking care of the football. They say ‘the shots will come,’ but when it’s not there I’ve gotta check it down and just be disciplined in my decisions.”

Perhaps Berlowitz’ necessary dedication to taking care of the ball is a microcosm of the mindset that’s necessary for him at this stage of his career, as well. What he sees as his ultimate future isn’t his imminent reality. If he’s not disciplined and focused on his current reality, his goal of becoming Vanderbilt’s starter may falter.

Time for Berlowitz to continue to be patient despite being just an arms’ reach away from his goals.