Spring Review: Vanderbilt Commodores

Spring practices have concluded across the Southeastern Conference. You kept a close eye on what was happening with Kentucky football, but how did the Wildcats’ opponents fare? KSR has everything you need to know from spring about the guys that will line up on the other side of the line of scrimmage this fall, starting with the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Did AJ Swann take the Next Step?

Vanderbilt went all in on quarterback AJ Swann in 2022. Despite some early success with running QB Mike Wright, Clark Lea handed the offense to the freshman in week 3. Swann rallied the Commodores from behind on the road at Northern Illinois, throwing four touchdowns to propel Vandy to a 10-point win.

He put up decent numbers — 1,274 yards, 10 touchdowns, 2 INTs — but that win at NIU was his only as a starter. Injuries sidelined him at various points throughout the final six weeks of the season, including Vandy wins over Kentucky and Florida. Despite their success without Swann, Lea stuck by the young guy and Wright hit the portal, ultimately landing at Mississippi State.

This spring the jury is still undecided if riding with Swann was the wisest decision. Injuries in the wide receiver room forced each one of their top three options to miss various practices. In a wet spring game Swann was just fine, completing 9-of-16 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown (a second score was waved off for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty). The weight on Swann’s shoulders will be heavy during a pivotal year three for Clark Lea. How he handles it will be the story of the Commodores’ season.

Looking to Replace Ray Davis

Vanderbilt leaned on Ray Davis to get hard yards and keep drives alive in 2022. He had to grind out about 20 attempts a game for 4.5 yards per carry. It led to just the tenth 1,000-yard rushing season in school history. Now Davis is at Kentucky and Vandy must rely on youth in the backfield.

Junior Patrick Smith received the first reps throughout spring, but a pair of freshmen spent more time turning heads. Redshirt freshman Chase Gillespie had 15 carries for 93 yards and caught a touchdown in the spring game. Sedrick Alexander, a freshman who enrolled in January, rushed for a score and 56 yards on only seven carries.

Vanderbilt Needs a Kicker

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: a college football program is searching for a solution to its kicking woes after a ho-hum spring practice. The Commodores are bringing in a scholarship kicker this summer, and Lea said they may even add a walk-on through the portal. By the time Kentucky travels to Nashville in September, neither team may be too eager to roll out its kicking team to finish drives.

Vanderbilt Defense is Key in Year Three for Clark Lea

Clark Lea was a punchline at SEC Media Days last summer after he said, “We know in time Vanderbilt football will be the best program in the country.” They did not do just that, but they did almost make a bowl game in year two thanks to some surprising late-season wins over Kentucky and Florida.

The Commodores feel like they have some momentum. The defensive-minded head coach cannot relinquish it with a putrid defense. Last season they ranked near the bottom of the SEC in every major statistical category by allowing a league-worst 36.0 points per game. Despite losing cornerback Ja’Dais Richard to Miami this week, Lea believes the Commodores got better where they needed it most, in the trenches.

Vanderbilt has some talented wide receivers on its roster. Swann and Will Sheppard should be able to create explosive plays. There’s a scenario where the Commodores are 4-0 when Kentucky comes to Nashville in a renovated stadium this September. It will be Liam Coen’s task to exploit a vulnerable defense and slow the momentum Clark Lea is creating ahead of his third season at Vanderbilt.