Record-low 2.8% of applicants admitted to Class of 2030 regular decision
Top 10 love songs of all time
Women’s Basketball: Justine Pissott selected by Indiana Fever with 25th pick in WNBA Draft
Women’s Basketball: Ava Black enters NCAA Transfer Portal
Women’s Basketball: Vanderbilt lands Mia Woolfolk in NCAA Transfer Portal
A new and improved Seder at Vanderbilt
First-year students evacuate West House after flood
Men’s Basketball: Tyler Harris enters the Transfer Portal
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Natasha Bedingfield to co-headline 2026 Rites of Spring
Women’s Basketball: Aga Makurat enters NCAA Transfer Portal
Vanderbilt Football hosted its annual Spring Game Saturday, April 18, as fans and the media got a first look at the 2026 Commodores. Vanderbilt was split into two teams, with Team Offense wearing black jerseys and Team Defense wearing white jerseys.
This year’s game featured an exciting look at five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who has emerged as a frontrunner in the starting quarterback battle. Fans and the media also got a look at the rest of the quarterback room, especially Blaze Berlowitz, who is likely Curtis’ main competition.
Several notable Commodores did not suit up for the spring game. Junior Sherill, MK Young, and Cole Spence were held out on the offensive side, while Jaylin Lackey, CJ Heard, Ricardo Jones, Martel Hight, Vanzale Hinton, Dontae Carter, Issa Ouattara, Bryan Longwell and Miles Capers did not play on defense.
The game featured a unique scoring format, with touchdowns counting as 6 points for both the offense and defense. The offense earned 2 additional points for a conversion down success as well as a 20+ yard play. The rest of the offensive scoring — extra points, 2-point conversions and field goals — remained the same.
The Commodores’ defense earned 3 points for a forced turnover or a three-and-out. Sacks and conversion down stops were worth 2 points while a forced field goal counted as 4 points. Tackle for losses earned the defense 1 point. Finally, either side committing a pre-snap penalty subtracted 1 point off its score.
The offense ended up winning the game, 41-28, finding multiple ways to score the ball on the ground and through the air.
“That was fun to see the energy and them adjusting and adapting as we did the best we could to get a scrimmage in that closes out spring 2026,” head coach Clark Lea said postgame. “I think we have a long way to go, but I am pleased with the progress we made. That showed up on the field today and, at times, we struggled. That’s what the Spring Game is about.”
Let’s dive into some key takeaways from Vanderbilt’s 2026 Black and Gold Game.
Fans got a look at both Berlowitz and Curtis at the Spring Game to see who is gaining an edge in the ever-evolving quarterback battle. Neither played their best game, but both showed flashes of talent and poise.
Berlowitz began the game at quarterback, commanding two drives. However, he never looked comfortable in those two early possessions, eventually throwing a costly pick after he escaped the pocket on the second drive. He didn’t hit on a single deep throw, missing an open receiver deep due to an underthrown ball. Berlowitz did rebound with a nice touchdown drive in the second half, capped off with a short throw to Tristen Brown to score.
Curtis, on the other hand, showed a greater ability to find receivers deep, hitting Ja’Cory Thomas for a play of 20+ yards on his first drive. The arm talent certainly flashed, as he threw a 60-yard bomb from inside the pocket just out of reach of the receiver in his first drive. He also displayed some decent touch on shorter routes, hitting a multitude of receivers on short cut routes for small yardage. On his second drive of the day, Curtis led the offense to a touchdown after hitting 3-of-4 passes.
“You see physical elements of his game that are unique to him as a human being, [such as] his potential for explosive plays, the way he can evade rush, the way he can find receivers down the field and the look that the ball has coming out of his hand,” Lea said of Curtis postgame. “There’s a lot there that we saw in evaluation and we saw in recruiting.”
He wasn’t entirely without his flaws, though. He threw a few risky balls over the middle of the field that were broken up with ease, and he often relied too heavily on his first read. Those mistakes are expected from a young quarterback in a new system, though.
It will be a challenge for any quarterback to take the reins from Diego Pavia, but Curtis showed the most impressive stuff today. Still, this quarterback battle is still open until that first snap in September. Berlowitz is the more veteran option, while Curtis projects with far more potential.
“We don’t expect [Curtis] or any of these guys to be Diego Pavia,” Lea said after the game. “But each one of these guys needs to focus on how they strengthen the unit.”
Vanderbilt’s other quarterbacks, Jack Elliott and Whit Muschamp, also competed in the game, leading select drives. Muschamp played very well, leading a successful touchdown drive after finding Thomas on a 32-yard crossing route.
This quarterback battle will only continue to develop through spring practices and fall camp.
Despite top running backs Sedrick Alexander and MK Young not suiting up for the game, Vanderbilt’s offensive line was extremely effective at creating lanes for whoever was in the backfield. The offensive struggles early on were more due to poor quarterback play than the group upfront. Offensive line coach Chris Klenakis opted to rotate the linemen throughout the game, offering many young players opportunities to gain reps.
Running backs Jamezell Lassiter and Izayah Lee found success early on due to the offensive line’s ability to generate massive holes. Lee punched in the first touchdown of the contest on the ground after solid blocking throughout that possession. The offensive line also provided holes on the outside for Kayleb Barnett, who used his speed and quickness to gain yards off short passes and jet sweeps.
Vanderbilt’s offensive pass protection remained steady as well, giving Berlowitz, Curtis, Muschamp and Elliott plenty of time to find an open target. Muschamp’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Thomas was a result of the line preventing any pressure on the quarterback. Just two sacks was given up by the offense, evident of the strong blocking from the offensive line.
Despite the success in the running and passing game, the offensive line committed its fair share of false starts and holding penalties. The wealth of penalties is certainly not shocking for a young group who has barely played together, but Klenakis will likely place an emphasis on limiting mistakes as fall camp approaches.
With countless new faces on the unit, it was a strong showing for the group up front. After losing four of their five starters last season, next year is widely viewed as a reset. The spring game offered the line a real chance to build chemistry and trust in one another. The big men are led by senior Cade McConnell, who is the only returning starter from the 2025-2026 season, and the legendary Klenakis, who certainly has the experience and resume to draw the best out of this new group.
Lea and his staff brought in an exciting new transfer class this offseason. A few shined in the Spring Game, particularly in the pass-catching group. Old Dominion transfer wide receiver Ja’Cory Thomas looked exceptional, hauling in several catches, including a 32-yard touchdown strike from Muschamp. His speed and athleticism showed on Saturday, as he consistently broke away from his corners while displaying very steady hands. Thomas caught two balls for a total of 51 yards.
“I’m on the big side of a receiver,” Thomas said of what he brings to the team. “So, a lot of people don’t think I run routes. [But] I think I’m a true route runner now; I’ve seen my hips getting out of breaks. I get physical.”
Ball State transfer Walter Taylor, who formerly played for Vanderbilt in the 2022 season, also impressed, using his larger frame (6’5, 240 pounds) to make big catches over the middle of the field. The former quarterback and now tight end will look to carve out playing time for himself this fall in a very strong tight end group, which features veteran Cole Spence, Eastern Carolina transfer Jayvontay Conner and Brycen Coleman. Nevertheless, he made a statement in the spring game that he might deserve playing time, earning 39 receiving yards on two catches.
“Most important, it’s been a very good transition,” Taylor said postgame of coming back to Vanderbilt. “Being around guys like Cole Spence and talking to them about the position [has been helpful]. It’s been really good. They have guided me through it.”
Vanderbilt committed two sacks and one tackle for a loss on the day, a disappointing performance from the defensive line. Capers not suiting up likely contributed to that, but it was still unexpected for the Black and Gold’s defense to generate barely any pressure on an inexperienced, rotating offensive line.
The defense failed to disrupt whoever was under center, leaving Berlowitz, Curtis, Muschamp and Elliott plenty of time in the pocket. The defense was forced to rely on quarterback mistakes for points rather than forced stops or strong pressure. The defensive line was also bailed out by unnecessary holding penalties committed by the offensive line.
Missed tackling was also prevalent in the contest, allowing receivers to earn many extra yards off simple screens and curl routes. Vanderbilt’s defensive line will look to create more pressure going forward, and they have plenty of time to elevate their play before returning to action in September.
Vanderbilt won’t take the field again until its regular season opener when it hosts Austin Peay on September 5. Until then, players will look to prove themselves during the remaining spring practices and fall training camp.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Subscribe to Updates
Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.
Football: Four takeaways from Vanderbilt’s Black and Gold Spring Game – The Vanderbilt Hustler
