Mark Byington reveals latest on Frankie Collins' status with Vanderbilt – On3

Vanderbilt’s backcourt will look different moving forward. Head coach Mark Byington confirmed that veteran guard Frankie Collins is no longer with the Commodores program. 
The announcement ended weeks of speculation surrounding his status after a lengthy absence from the lineup: “Frankie has left Nashville, and he’s not gonna be on the team,” Byington said, via Vandy247’s Alania Morris. “It’s gonna be good for both sides of it. We wish him well. So we’ll roll with the guys we got.”
Collins had not appeared in a game for Vanderbilt since the team’s Dec. 17 win over Memphis. While the guard had been listed on the injury report during that stretch, his extended absence of more than two months raised questions about whether he would return to the team at all.
Those questions intensified late in the season, when Collins was not included in Vanderbilt’s Senior Day activities during the Commodores’ 88-80 victory over Georgia.
Before stepping away, Collins had played in nine games for Vanderbilt this season and provided a steady veteran presence in the backcourt. The fifth-year guard averaged 7.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while serving as a versatile contributor on both ends of the floor.
When he was available, Vanderbilt found success. The Commodores went 9-0 in games Collins appeared in this season, making his absence even more noticeable as the SEC schedule progressed.
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Collins’ departure marks another stop in what has been one of the more traveled careers in recent college basketball. Vanderbilt was the fourth program he suited up for across five collegiate seasons.
He began his career at Michigan before transferring to Arizona State, where he spent two seasons and started 66 of the 67 games he played for the Sun Devils. Collins later transferred to TCU in 2024 before landing in Nashville ahead of the 2025 season.
While his time at Vanderbilt ultimately proved brief, Collins’ experience and playmaking ability gave the Commodores an early-season boost. Now, Byington and the Commodores will move forward without him.
With postseason play approaching, Vanderbilt will lean on the remaining pieces of its roster as it looks to maintain momentum and close the season strong. At 23-7, they’ll finish their regular season slate against Tennessee this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. 
— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.
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