2025 Vanderbilt Football Mailbag #1: Answers to Your Questions – Anchor Of Gold

Letters… we get letters… we get stacks and stacks of letters…
From Tom’s end of year stream of conscious:
Going into next season, I still think the offensive line needs some fixes (though they’ve already gotten a jump start on that), and the receiver room really needs to be fixed. They could use some depth pieces on the defensive line given what happened down the stretch, and they could use help at corner. That said I think next year’s team from the perspective of right now can be at least as good as this year’s.
Of those identified fixes, which do you feel good about & bad about, and do you think the team will shape up to be as good as last year’s?
Tom Stephenson: So I feel good about the O-line and less good about the receivers. As I hinted in December they added some good pieces up front in the transfer portal, to the point that I will not be surprised if Vanderbilt is running out Chase Mitchell and four transfers this season. (Granted, at least some of that speaks to the, ahem, absence of development with the high school recruits there.) As far as receiver goes, I like Tre Richardson but the receiver room still seems to suffer from the lack of a Dude, but that’s frankly been an ongoing issue since Jordan Matthews left the West End 12 years ago. (Has it been that long? Yes, it has been that long.)
As far as the other two groups go, well, this was where I whiffed mostly by not realizing who was actually coming back: I was completely stunned to open up the roster and see that Zaylin Wood is still here, and had totally blanked on last year’s transfers Mark Davis and Marlon Jones, neither of whom played for VU last year. That’s as good as getting a couple of guys in this year’s portal, and if you’re as big a believer in Kolbey Taylor as Clark Lea seems to be, there was probably less to address there than we thought.
Cole Sullivan: Ahem…. **turns sunshine pump on** OH YEAH, WE’RE SO BACK! NEVER BEEN MORE BACK! OUR O-LINE ISN’T BACK THOUGH, NO SIRREE, IT’S TRANSFERS EVERY WHICH WAY YOU LOOK AND THEY ARE MM MMM GOOOOOD!
PatrickSawyer: The offensive line should be good on paper. They brought in some really nice pieces, especially Center Jordan White and Strong Tackle Bryce Henderson. Chase Mitchell gets to move back to guard from tackle. Isaia Glass has started 23 games for other P4 programs, and slots in at Quick Tackle. Cade McConnell transferred in from Minnesota before the 2024 season and played in all 12 games for a total of 61 offensive snaps, so I will trust the coaches on him.
Receiver seems like a bunch of spare parts with maybe Tre Richardson as a breakout candidate alongside the ever-reliable Junior Sherrill and gritty Richie Hoskins. If there was one position group that can be lukewarm for this offense to tick, it is the receivers though. They really need to be enthusiastic blockers then work into spaces. Having a couple of guys who demand special attention would open up more room for the running game and Eli Stowers though.
The corner room scares me because they were so awful last year. The pass defense was 126th in yards per attempt and 134th (dead last) in passing completion allowed. Opposing QBs completed 75.6% of their passes which is just insanely bad. Hopefully Mark Davis and Marlon Jones along with more growth from Martel Hight, Jaylen Lackey, and Kolbey Taylor can make them just bad instead of awful.
The defensive line seems … fine. Lots of depth but no one that really jumps out as a game wrecker. They should cause some noise by being able to roll fresh bodies while wearing opponents down.
Andrew VU ‘04: I’m with Tom on this. I think our offensive line should be a strength, but just like last year, other than Stowers at TE, I’m not entirely confident in the WR corps Pavia will throw to.
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What is your over/under for this team (and why is it 6.5) and which side are you on?
Tom Stephenson: The over/under is 5.5 and I would take the over, if ever so slightly. Basically I see the three non-Virginia Tech nonconference games as gimmes (I mean, yes, we lost to Georgia State last season, but this time we get them in Nashville) and I would count Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kentucky, and Auburn as pretty much tossups, with the slight advantage of having three of those at home. But then, it’s totally plausible that Missouri and/or Auburn could be better than I’m expecting (though it’s also very plausible that Kentucky sucks out loud and playing them at home is closer to a gimme than a tossup.)
The other games, though: at South Carolina, at Alabama, LSU at home, at Texas, at Tennessee. That’s five games baked in that are probably losses. The ceiling is probably 7-5. As much as it sucks to say that, well, this is life in the new SEC, so I hope Vanderbilt really, really likes the money.
I’d still take the over since I’m setting it at 5.5.
Cole Sullivan: Alright, alright, I got that out of my system. I think 6.5 is the over/under, but I am hammering that over. We should be better than last year, and I don’t necessarily know that many of our opponents can say the same. Look at how many close games we lost (and ignore all the close games we won) and you’ll realize just how close we were to being 10-2 and playing in Atlanta. Yeah, I’ve talked myself into over 6.5.
PatrickSawyer: The O/U opened at 4.5. I think most books have it up to 5.5 now. I would take the over. At 6.5, it becomes dangerous. The schedule is the same as last year, so staying at 6 wins basically means flipping Georgia State to a win while assuming a loss to Alabama. There may be another win in the bunch. Tennessee might be imploding if the Aguilar experience goes ugly. The same could be true for Auburn and Kentucky with their coaches feeling some heat, but those were wins last year already. Stealing a game from Alabama, Texas, or LSU seems too far fetched to gamble on happening. I will never bet on Vanderbilt to beat South Carolina. So could the Dores beat Missouri? Screw it, I will say over 6.5, but it’s a brazen bet, not a confident one.
Andrew VU ‘04: If we’re counting the postseason, 6.5 is a fair over/under, as it’s what we did last year. I think 7 wins (again, counting a bowl win) is a more than reasonable expectation for the ‘25 Gridiron Dores. I also know that Pavia would sooner cut off a foot than even entertain the idea of not competing for a National Title this year. That might sound insane, but remember, his insanity is precisely why we love him. If you’re not delusional in your personal expectations, you can’t possibly hit said lunacy, no? On the flip side, if you think, “Well, 6 wins is a good season,” you’re effectively limiting yourself. So be brash, be bold, and join Pavia’s brothers at the party. Why the hell not? So yeah, fuck reason, I’m taking the over.
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Ceiling? Floor? Window? Door?
Tom Stephenson: See above analysis — the ceiling’s probably 7-5 (I could talk myself into 8-4 if I’m a couple beers in), the floor is probably 4-8 (upon further reflection I am very convinced that Kentucky is bad bad.)
Cole Sullivan: Ceiling? 9-3. Floor? 4-8. Window? Seat. Door? Dore.
PatrickSawyer: I think there is a bizarro world where Pavi-Mania shocks one of LSU or Texas AND knocks off both of Missouri and Tennessee from my above win total explanation. I would not expect it, but it would not totally surprise me. The ceiling is 9-3, but that is like a 0.5% probability. The floor is likely 4-8 where the only P4 win is one of Virginia Tech, Auburn (Pavia cannot lose to Freeze), or Kentucky. I think that is about as likely as 9-3 though unless there is a string of major injuries to key pieces.
Andrew VU ‘04: Dear Lord, I agree with Cole and Patrick. What has become of me?!?!?! Yeah, this schedule is a beast, but it’s always going to be a beast. We need to blow the doors off our OOC opponents early to get the rest of the team to Pavia’s other-worldly confidence level. Charleston Southern needs to be a boatrace. Needs to. Then, like last year, the season tips on what happens at Virginny Tech. Unlike last year, Georgia State absolutely has to be a win, and a blow-out win, at that. Between Virginny Tech and Ugga State, we face the continuation of the Chicken Curse with an early conference game against The South Cackalacky Game Penises. I fully expect them to be a top third SEC team this year, so if we win that game… get ready for some hot Ceiling on Ceiling action. No, I have no idea what I meant by that either, but yeah following Ugga State, we play Utah State, who is also always a tough OOC opponent. Open 5-0, and start prepping the Cumberland for all sorts of goal post littering.
Am I completely out of my mind on this? Yes. The Chicken Curse defies reason. It’s older than most of my students. Also, we get literally no breaks in this conference schedule. Yeah… I can’t bring myself to get to 9 wins… except I’m counting the bowl! 8-4 regular season! Still get sent to Birmingham or some shit! Let’s do it!
As for the floor, well, injuries could turn this into a nightmare of a season, as we literally only play one team on the schedule that every Vanderbilt team of my lifetime would beat. Let’s remember the lesson of Wile E. Coyote and just never look down.
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If Auburn is the National Champion of 1910 with a record of 6-1 but your record that year was 8-0-1, what does that make you?
Tom Stephenson: I’m sorry but claiming a national championship from 115 years ago that you’ve never claimed before is kind of silly.
My whole take on the unclaimed national championships is that, while it would be sort of cool to say we’re a six-time national champion or whatever, it’s also very weird to suddenly claim that you were the national champions in 1922 when you’ve literally spent 103 years not making that claim and have spent most of the last sixty years being almost completely irrelevant. I’d look at it differently if we’d claimed those titles the whole time or we’d won national titles since then, but to do it now is basically just putting a “kick me” sign on your back. Do you want the entire internet to spend weeks dunking on you? Because this is how you get the entire internet to spend weeks dunking on you. And anyway, national championships before the AP Poll was a thing basically don’t count. Nobody cares that some guy with a computer decided decades after the fact that you had the best team in 1922.
Cole Sullivan: We beat Georgia Tech, Tennessee, AND Sewanee that year, so we are the real champions in my books. Plus? We beat Auburn last year and will do it again this year. At least they have that national title from over a century ago to fall back on.
PatrickSawyer: War. Damn. Eagle.
To Tom’s point about timing of claiming previously unclaimed titles, I think the only time to do it is either a significant anniversary like 100 years since that season OR winning a “modern” title and recognizing the previously unclaimed ones beside it. It is harder to trash talk someone for “living in the past” after they just won the CFP.
Andrew VU ‘04: Umm… that makes the 1910 Gridiron Dores squad the Jason Campbell Auburn team?
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Martel Hight as a 2-way player. Just hype or can this really work to make a difference in games?
Also, if I may, can we beat South Carolina? Please?
Tom Stephenson: I’m sure it will help in some way to have the best athlete on the team playing as much as possible, but he is not Travis Hunter. Not even in the same time zone, really. If that’s what you’re thinking, you’re going to be severely disappointed.
And, uh, this probably isn’t the year for that because (a) it’s in Columbia and (b) South Carolina is certifiably for real good this year. At least we think.
Cole Sullivan: Eh? I mean, could be helpful. He’s good, and I like good. But he’s probably not great, which is sad because I love great. Interested to see how it goes, though.
PatrickSawyer: I think he can provide maybe 4 or 5 explosives on offense this year. Maybe it edges to 6 to 8 explosives if they run some decoy stuff where the whole defense keys on Hight then someone like McVay slips out on the opposite side after getting lost in the shuffle of some rub routes or creative motion. With the number of tight games Vanderbilt played, those handful of plays could matter significantly. My main concern is that there becomes a tendency to force things to him when he is on the field even if the entire defense keys on him. That may prove even more disruptful than helpful with how heavily the offense is predicated on consistent positive gains along with not turning the ball over.
No. Never.
Andrew VU ‘04: I don’t think it’s just hype, and mostly because we really really need talent at WR this year. He’ll be given a shot to prove he’s a Travis Hunter-lite player because, well, we just can’t waste this Josh Henderson year from Diego Pavia
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Top X (5? 3? 1?) games you want to see us win, and top X you really don’t want to see us lose. For any reasons: practical, personal, or something else that starts with “p”.
Tom Stephenson: I would really, really like to beat Tennessee, because that is the answer every year. I really don’t want to see us lose to Missourah (spits) because I am continually annoyed with them. Every year I talk myself into “hey, we should be able to beat them” and seemingly every year I come away disappointed. It’s actually somehow worse than the South Carolina curse, because while South Carolina sometimes really does look beatable and we blow it (2015, 2016, 2021) there are also some years when they just straight up beat the shit out of us because they have better athletes. Whereas Missouri is just… I mean, I realize they’ve usually been pretty good since joining the SEC but the 3-10 record has, well, a ton of losses like last season’s and the only time they really beat us down was the infamous 2020 game.
Oh yeah, and I don’t want to see us lose to any of Charleston Southern, Georgia State, or Utah State, but that’s obvious.
Cole Sullivan: Orange School, then Bama, then Georgia State. I least want to lose to Charleston Southern, because imagine how sucky that would be to lose to your FCS opponent at night in your first game of the season… So embarrassing!
PatrickSawyer: Starting with wins, it is Tennessee, South Carolina, and then Texas a fairly distant third. The first two are obvious, and I am going to Austin (along with every game except Alabama).
I don’t want use to lose to Tennessee, any of the OOC, Auburn, or Kentucky. I hate losing, and I hate losing embarrassing games. All seven of those games would be embarrassing.
Andrew VU ‘04: Everyone pretty much said my piece. I’d love to ruin the year of the Knoxville Buttchuggers, and I would absolutely hate to lose to Ugga State for no apparent reason again.
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Will this team be able to win any games if Pavinator goes out or has to play hampered? In other words is he our only reason to have any hope?
Tom Stephenson: There are some pretty good players around him, but the offense probably doesn’t work very well without him. So, short answer: yes.
Cole Sullivan: If we’re being honest? Probably don’t get by for long without Diego. The team is designed around him. Imagine if Thanos had had to hold all the Infinity Stones in his hand at once instead of just wearing them on the Infinity Gauntlet? Things wouldn’t have fit together and it would have gotten messy with Infinity Stones falling out of his hands everywhere and then he wouldn’t have been able to use their powers and probably wouldn’t have been able to win every fight he did and he wouldn’t have been nearly as dangerous or opposing and… yeah, you get the point. Clark Lea is Thanos, Pavia is the gauntlet, and the rest of the team is the Infinity Stones. Just don’t read into that too much, okay?
PatrickSawyer: Maybe a couple games could be in reach. Blaze Berlowitz is apparently a human metronome where he flashes the playmaking of Pavia with an even stronger arm then immediately throws 3 straight interceptions. He is listed as the backup, which I fully expected to be an OR designation between Berlowitz and Drew Dickey that may depend on the situation. The practice notes on Dickey are that he has a much lower ceiling but much higher floor. I might have also been told by a player’s parent that, going into the LSU game last year, Vanderbilt would have the same record with Dickey at QB as Pavia with the Bama and Georgia State games flipped.
With that said, Vanderbilt might be able to make a bowl if Pavia misses or is limited in the 3 non-Virginia Tech OOC games or against opponents that are likely losses either way. Vanderbilt will probably need him at full go for at least 3 of VT and those winnable SEC games mentioned in everyone’s win total predictions.
Andrew VU ‘04: Charleston Southern, Ugga State, and Utah State would all likely still be wins (though close ones for the latter two), but yeah, don’t even make me think about this possibility. It would get brutal real quick.
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Please rank the three teams (Offense, Defense, and Specialty) from strongest to weakest. What does each team need to do to reach the next level?
Tom Stephenson: The special teams were a severely underrated strength of the team last season, with Jesse Mirco being yet another good punter and Brock Taylor suddenly giving us a money kicker from distance… oh yeah, and Junior Sherrill and Martel Hight being strong in the return game. Mirco is gone, but guess what, we pulled another Aussie punter out of the portal.
I’d rank the offense ahead of the defense as long as Diego Pavia is healthy.
Cole Sullivan: Big Boy Brock “The Sock” Taylor is incredible, and we have a new Irwinian at punter which means we have a good punter. Hard to go with anything other than special teams here. Then comes the offense, anchored by Human Infinity Gauntlet Diego Pavia (can you believe they keep letting me back to write?). Then comes the defense, because it’s what’s left.
PatrickSawyer: I do not think Nick Haberer is quite as good of a punter as Mirco, but he will be good. Probably top third of the SEC. Mirco was just a freaking weapon for flipping the field with punts resembling ICBs that made return attempts foolish. The Brocket Launcher (hat tip to former Vanderbilt OL Blake Fromang on that nickname that has caught on via social media) was a little iffy early in the season. His only misses were from 43 against Virginia Tech on the final play of regulation to avoid OT, and a pair against Missouri (50 yarder while tied with 3:06 left in regulation and a 31 yarder to send the game to 3OT). He was rock steady down the stretch.
I think it has to go Special Teams then Offense then Defense.
Andrew VU ‘04: I agree with everyone here.
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What do the Gridiron ‘Dores have to do in 2025-26 to shut Paul Finebaum up for good?
Tom Stephenson: We have the money to cut his microphone.
Cole Sullivan: Break his microphones and equipment like he’s some sort of AV kid from a nineties show.
PatrickSawyer: Probably do something to him that when told to another radio show moments later sparks a national investigation. I am obviously not endorsing any such actions, just answering truthfully. Finebaum would not respect Vanderbilt if the team wins the next 3 national championships without a single loss.
Andrew VU ‘04: Nothing legal. I sincerely doubt there’s someone in Vanderbilt’s fanbase who would figuratively poison Finebaum’s trees, PAAAAAAAWWWWWWWLLLLL. So yeah, this is moot. He’s not going to shut up, regardless.
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Which opponent is likely to provide us with our most impressive win this time around the sun?
Tom Stephenson: Maybe Auburn, but I suspect that by the time November rolls around the shine will be completely off that turd. (Hugh Freeze is the turd.) Instead, I think the most impressive win will be at Virginia Tech, which we’re back to not being expected to win I guess because the pretty common prevailing wisdom of the offseason is that we were a flash in the pan.
Cole Sullivan: Missouri, if they are actually good this year. I would want to say Alabama, but they are hardly an impressive win anymore after they lost to Vanderbilt last year.
PatrickSawyer: Likely? I think it is Virginia Tech because it will be a good win in a cool road environment, but it depends on how their game with South Carolina goes this weekend. If VT is coming off a major beatdown, our win would look way less impressive unless it matches the drubbing SC puts on them.
The hopeful answer is Tennessee. If Pavia and most of the squad gets to that game healthy, they will be out for blood no matter how the rest of the season goes, except maybe complete disaster. LSU at home in an 11 AM or 11:45 AM kickoff also provides some intrigue if you want the longshot game most likely to potentially be the “Bama” game. The Bayou Bengals play Vanderbilt after South Carolina at home and before hosting Texas A&M then going to Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile, the Dores are coming off a bye. Watching Brian Kelly meltdown would be glorious.
Andrew VU ‘04: DEATH TO THE CHICKEN CURSE!!!
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