Front Porch FootballVanderbilt 2021 Season Preview
by Max McDougald
Vanderbilt finished the 2020 Football season with a disappointing 0-9 record, leading to the firing of Derek Mason. They enter the 2021 campaign with new head coach Clark Lea. The former defensive coordinator at Notre Dame will have some offensive pieces to work with, but his reputation as a defensive guru will be put to the test with more questions than answers going into the 2021 season.
Offense
David Raih has been tabbed as the next offensive coordinator for Vanderbilt. The former Arizona Cardinal assistant will look to bring his pro-style attack to the SEC. Good news for the Commodores, they return their starting quarterback and all of their starting wide receivers from 2020. These returners will provide a foundation for the first-year coaches in Nashville to build around. This Vanderbilt offense will most certainly be a strength of this team.
Departed Notable Starters
Keyon Henry Brooks – RB – Transfer
Grant Miller – Center – Transfer
Quarterback
Ken Seals (6-3, 218) returns after a freshman season where he completed 64.6% of his passes for 1,928 yards. Rounding out the QB room for the Commodores will be fellow sophomore Mike Wright (6-3, 187) and senior Jeremy Moussa (6-3, 219). Wright was used as a change of speed, red zone QB last season and could end up playing that same role in 2021. Moussa’s playing time will be limited unless there is a major emergency.
There are a few questions for Clark Lea and his staff entering their first season. Seals has progressed well in the new offense thus far, while Wright also showed improvement this offseason, especially in his throwing ability. Lea claims there is a competition for the starting spot between the two. However, in the end, I believe Seals’ experience helps him win the job, and he starts game one. If Seals shows he is in complete control of this offense, his starting job will be safe, and he will be in position to have a big year leading the Vandy offense.
Running Back
Coming off a season where the Commodores averaged a mere 3 yards per carry and lost their leading rusher, you would think there would be more concern about the ground game. But although this is very much a “wild card” group, there is enough talent at this position to have a productive year, even in spite of Vandy recently losing running back Ja’Veon Marlow due to behavioral issues. (He is no longer listed on the roster, and 247Sports confirmed he has parted ways with the school.)
With Brooks and Marlow gone, the starting job is going to either sophomore Rocko Griffin (5-9, 205) or newcomer Re’Mahn Davis (5-9, 215), a transfer from Temple. Griffin has been used here and there, but his in-game productivity will determine how much he plays in 2021. He is an extremely physical runner who could be an outstanding complement to the speedy Davis .
Speaking of whom, all eyes will be on Davis this fall. The former freshman All-American rushed for 936 yds and scored 8 TDs for Temple in 2020. Davis can also be a weapon in the passing game. He had generated a lot of excitement since joining the program and could end up being a major playmaker in this new Vanderbilt offense. Other newcomers, Dylan Betts-Pauley (5-11, 225) and Patrick Smith (5-10, 185), will round out the running back room.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
This group could be the strength of the offense and quite possibly the entire team. The Vandy offense returns every starting receiver from 2020 and a veteran tight end as well. This is a unit where Raih can look for consistency. Cam Johnson (6-0, 198), Amir Abdur-Rahman (6-4, 217), and Chris Pierce (6-4, 231) all possess NFL size and talent. A big year from these three could help put each of them in great position for a career at the next level.
Returning at tight end is Ben Bresnahan (6-4, 244). He is a monster in the passing game and can impose his will in the run game. Raih’s pro-style offense will utilize Bresnahan like a traditional NFL offense would, so look for Bresnahan to have a big year for the Commodores.
Offensive Line
Opt-outs hit this offensive line hard last year, which forced a lot of players to move around. Three fifth-year seniors return after sitting out last season and should help bolster a line that struggled throughout 2020. Although there are multiple players with game experience, there is little consensus on who will start opening weekend. This group will be led by senior left tackle Tyler Steen (6-5, 317), who has been tabbed as a preseason All-SEC selection. Besides Steen, not much else is certain.
The other tackle position could be filled by Bradley Ashmore (6-6, 294) who played primarily at tackle last season as a true freshman. Fellow sophomore Ben Cox (6-5, 292) and junior Brayden Bapst (6-6, 300) could see playing time at tackle as well. Both also have playing experience at multiple positions but fit the tackle position best.
In a surprise move, Drew Birchmeier abruptly left before August. The former defensive tackle moved to guard in the middle of 2020 to help the depleted offensive line and would have returned for his sixth year. Instead, he is no longer on the team and currently not in the transfer portal. Unlike Marlow, though, Birchmeier probably left on his own accord. Returning for a sixth year is tough, and he wasn’t guaranteed significant playing time.
Vanderbilt brings back two guards who opted out in 2020 for their extra year of eligibility. Bryce Bailey (6-5, 306) and Cole Clemens (6-6, 344) provide valuable experience and size. Clemens has a ton of playing experience at both guard positions and should take one of the starting roles. Bailey has earned his stripes at guard and as a blocking tight end in years past. While the two were away from the team last year, Dan Dawkins (6-3, 308) stepped up. He should also see playing time throughout the season.
The Commodores will have to replace Grant Miller at center. Redshirt freshman Kevo Wesley’s name continues to appear to be the favorite. Wesley (6-4, 296) is a former 3-star recruit who didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. At his size and strength, Wesley is a force in the run game but will need to prove himself against some of the country’s best defensive tackles in the passing game. Julian Hernandez (6-4, 312) could push for a role at center but has limited experience which came at guard last year.
Vanderbilt also added West Virginia transfer Junior Uzebu (6-6, 305), who will look to crack the lineup somewhere on this offensive line, along with Jason Brooks (6-4, 275) and Jonathan Stewart (6-7, 324). There is plenty of depth and versatility on the Vanderbilt offensive line, but it could take some shuffling to find their best configuration when the lights come on.
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Defense
The Vanderbilt defense will enter 2021 with a new look, as Lea hired Jesse Minter to run the defense. Still, expect Lea to play a major hand in coaching the defense, given his deep knowledge on that side of the ball. This Commodore defense will enter 2021 with many question marks, as last year’s top defensive players are now in the NFL. Minter and Lea will look to lean on young talent and unproven players to make plays. If they can get quality production out of some inexperienced guys, this Vanderbilt ball club could be a scrappy bunch!
Departed Notable Starters
Dayo Odeyingbo – DE – Draft
Andre Mintze – LB – Draft
Defensive Line
This Commodore defensive line group from 2020 saw starting DE Dayo Odeyingbo go to the NFL, so they will look for a way to fill that hole. It will not be easy. There are some guys at this position who have quality experience, but few have proven that they can produce in the SEC. Look for DT Raashaan Wilkins Jr. (6-3, 307) to be the main guy for Vanderbilt on the DL. He is coming off a 2020 season where he started all nine games and finished with 8 tackles. Wilkins wasn’t given the luxury of slowly adjusting to SEC speed from junior college, and fans watched as he was given a baptism by fire. With a year under his belt, and as one of the few returning players with nine starts from last season, Wilkins is poised to make a big jump in 2021.
Daevion Davis (6-2, 285) and Christian James (6-4, 250) return after having double-digit tackles in the shortened 2020 season. Unless injury strikes, these two will be on the field a lot for the Commodores.
Some names you will hear in the rotation will be Nate Clifton (6-5, 267), Derek Green (6-5, 320), Malik Langham (6-5, 290), Rutger Reitmaier (6-3, 266), and Lorenza Surgers (6-5, 258). We will see how Minter is able to deploy all these defensive linemen to implement the scheme he wants to use to attack opposing offenses. For Minter, the veteran playmakers may not be present, but there is both depth and experience, so he should have something to work with.
Linebacker
Prior to earning the defensive coordinator job at Notre Dame, Lea’s bread and butter was coaching linebackers. On top of Lea’s brilliant mind, Vanderbilt also brings back veteran players.
The Commodore linebacking corps will be led by Feleti Afemui (6-3, 244) and Anfernee Orji Jr. (6-2, 224). Afemui is returning to the middle linebacker position after opting out of the 2020 season. On the other hand, Orji started all nine games in 2020 and is on this year’s Phil Steele preseason 4th Team All-SEC. He will look to build on a productive sophomore season on the outside. Afemui also hopes to pick up where he left off in 2019, after starting 10 games and recording 46 tackles that season.
Elijah McCallister (6-6, 245) will also be a name that Commodore fans hear a lot. He did not play in 2020, but as a sophomore in 2019, he played in all 12 games while recording 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He loves playing strong side and is not afraid to move down to the Buck position in nickel packages.
Other guys you will see in the rotation are sophomore Ethan Barr (6-3, 236) and redshirt senior Brayden Devault-Smith (6-3, 227). This is a unit that could be the strength of the Vanderbilt defense. There are concerns in various parts of this defense, but this position group should not be one, and it could provide much-needed stability.
Secondary
Returning safeties are a pair of seniors, Brendon Harris (6-1, 212) and Dashaun Jenkins (6-0, 190), who will lead the secondary in 2021. After these two, though, there are many question marks. One exception is Jaylen Mahoney Jr. (5-11, 185), who will play primarily corner this year, after playing some hybrid/star in nickel packages in 2020. Mahoney is a solid cover corner, who also exhibits great tackling abilities. In other words, he is a defensive back who can do it all.
A common theme in the Vanderbilt secondary is that these guys can tackle, often being described as hard hitters. This will be good for slowing down opposing rushing attacks, but it remains to be seen how successful these guys can be in coverage. If they can slow down opposing teams’ passing games and not allow easy big plays, that may be considered a win in 2021.
Special Teams
Justin Lusting joins the staff to oversee special teams after a stint at Syracuse. Lustig has the keys to piece together a quality group this fall. Returning is Harrison Smith (5-10, 188), a quality SEC punter who has a strong leg and consistency. Kicker looked to be a question mark following a shaky 2020, but the addition of Alabama transfer Joseph Bulovas (6-0, 215) will solidify the kicking game for the Commodores in 2021. If the coaching staff decides it doesn’t want to risk putting one of Vandy’s best receivers out there in high risk/high reward scenarios, they might need to replace Cam Johnson as their top returner. If so, the explosiveness and steadiness of Re’Mahn Davis could help him factor into the return game as fall camp plays out.
Impact Players
- Ken Seals – returning after a big freshman campaign. Will need to be more consistent throwing the football to take the next step, and still needs to win the starting job.
- Cam Johnson – top receiver in the bunch. Landed in the Top 10 for several categories in the SEC with a freshman quarterback. Johnson is hoping lightning strikes twice for his final season.
- Feleti Afemui– returning after opting out in 2020. He should be a playmaker on this Vandy defense.
Schedule
Sept. 4 — vs. ETSU
Sept. 11 — at Colorado State
Sept. 18 — vs. Stanford
Sept. 25 — vs. Georgia
Oct. 2 — vs. Connecticut
Oct. 9 — at Florida
Oct. 16 — at South Carolina
Oct. 23 — vs. Mississippi State
Oct. 30 — vs. Missouri
Nov. 6 — BYE
Nov. 13 — vs. Kentucky
Nov. 20 — at Ole Miss
Nov. 27 — at Tennessee
Conclusion
This Vanderbilt team will show improvement under Lea. The offense will be the strength of the team, so Lea will need to limit the damage on the defensive side of the ball. There will be some exciting things for Vanderbilt fans moving forward from 2021. Just don’t expect to see a HUGE jump this first season!
