Vanderbilt Commodores 2026 Season Preview

Curtis is the story of the offseason and, likely, the season. At 6-3 and 230 pounds, he is a former high school running back with elite arm strength who showed real poise in spring, flashing comfort with the timing of Beck's scheme and the ability to fit throws into tight windows. His running style is more straight-ahead than Pavia's, but the athleticism to move the chains with his legs is there. The obvious caveat is that Curtis has zero college snaps, and head coach Clark Lea has been candid that the mental processing is where he still has ground to cover.

The room offers experienced insurance. Dual-threat option Blaze Berlowitz, who has three years in the system and opened the spring game with the first team, is the primary backup, with young arms behind him. Expect Curtis to win it, but the presence of a veteran gives Lea a floor if the freshman hits early turbulence.

The passing game returns a genuine SEC weapon in senior Junior Sherrill, whose 784 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last fall trailed only a handful of returning league receivers. Around him, the staff worked the portal hard. Alabama transfer Cole Adams, ticketed for the slot, turned heads all spring, while Old Dominion's Ja'Cory Thomas arrives off a 17.5-yards-per-catch season but drew more muted reviews in his first Nashville workouts. Brycen Coleman gives the group size on the outside.

Tight end should again be a strength. Senior Cole Spence returns as a reliable starter, and East Carolina transfer Jayvontay Conner is being asked to take over the versatile flex role Stowers occupied so productively.

This is where the offense brings its most continuity. Senior Sedrick Alexander is a proven workhorse who ran for 567 yards and 11 scores, and he combined with Makhilyn Young for 1,314 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns a year ago. Young, effective on a per-carry basis, returns alongside him, and the Commodores added touted freshman backfield help. A steady, experienced run game is exactly what a first-year quarterback needs to lean on.

The biggest swing factor on offense. An improved line lifted the run game in 2025, but Vanderbilt must replace four starters. Senior guard Cade McConnell is the lone holdover, and the staff rebuilt around him with center Lyndon Cooper from Pittsburgh, guard Micah DeBose from Alabama and tackle Beau Johnson from North Dakota State, with Orion Irving and Clinton Azubuike also in the mix. Lea believes the group has a higher ceiling than last year's, but pairing an unproven front with a freshman quarterback is a real risk until it proves itself.

The defense is the more settled side, returning seven full-time Power 4 starters, and it may be the most complete unit Lea has fielded. The interior is the strength: this is a deep rotation that can comfortably spin 10 or more linemen, led by German import Yilanan Ouattara, a 6-7, 315-pound talent who could break out if he stays healthy, and big Glenn Seabrooks III. The pass rush is the worry. Projected starting edges Miles Capers, a sixth-year veteran, and Iowa transfer Brian Allen Jr. combined for just five sacks last season, so generating consistent heat is the unit's make-or-break.

Experienced and productive. Senior Bryan Longwell leads the way as the team's top tackler, an instinctive playmaker who lives in the backfield. Nick Rinaldi returns after leading the team in sacks, though his coverage was inconsistent, and senior Bryce Cowan has the physical tools for a breakout. The group lost two of its top tacklers but has enough returning to anchor what should be a competitive run defense.

Pass defense has never been a calling card under Lea, and the numbers backed that up again in 2025, but this is the spot where Vanderbilt could take a genuine step forward. Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones, who tied for the ACC lead with six interceptions, was arguably the star of spring and pairs with returnee CJ Heard at safety. At corner, Jordan Matthews graduates from a full-time reserve into a starting role, with sophomore Cayden Daniels pushing for snaps, while veteran Martel Hight rejoins the defense full-time after moonlighting at receiver last fall. If the coverage tightens on third down, the whole defense rises.

A hidden edge. Vanderbilt's special teams have graded among the nation's best by advanced metrics over the past two seasons, and continuity keeps them there. Brock Taylor is one of the sport's premier placekickers, a proven 31-of-35 career operator with range beyond his 57-yard long and the leg for 60-plus if needed. FCS transfer Tyler Ebel arrives to handle punting after averaging 45.8 yards a boot, and the return game is dangerous with Sherrill and Hight, the latter of whom already owns a punt-return touchdown here.