Vanderbilt Football 2026 Position Preview: Specialists – Anchor Of Gold

Vanderbilt has specialists that could turn into indirect fire specialists if footballs were explosive.
The last group to be previewed before the Commodores kickoff the 2026 season is the group that will be on the field for that first play. The specialists may not play as many snaps as other players, but we all know how important the kickers, punters, long snappers, and returners are. Missed field goals, shanked punts, botched snaps, muffed punts, or just bad decisions on when to return the ball or not can implode a team. Special teams have been a strength for Vanderbilt lately, and that trend should continue.
Brock Taylor was originally, I believe, dubbed The Brocket Launcher by former Vanderbilt offensive lineman Blake Fromang. It is a nickname that fits. Taylor is a slight 6’1” and 165 pounds, but that leg has ALL the power. Taylor was 13 of 14 in 2025 to follow up an 18 of 21 season in 2024. He has made 6 of 7 kicks beyond 50+, including a 57-yard kick against Missouri in 2024. For his career, he is 8 of 10 from 40-49, 11 of 12 from 30-39, and 6 of 6 inside 29 yards. He absolutely has the leg to make from 60+ in good conditions. Good conditions with favorable winds might push his range to 65. A leg with that strength and consistency is just about the best you can hope for in a college kicker.
His backup is sophomore Justin Dewers. Dewers played in four games, mostly on kickoff duty but with one made PAT against Utah State. Then he caught my eye at the spring game bombing kicks from almost as far, if not as far, as Taylor. Enjoy this one from 58. No, there is no defense, but that is a kick from a live snap and hold that hits the net almost at crossbar height from 58.
Tyler Ebel transferred in from South Dakota. He was their main punter for every game since his redshirt freshman season in 2023. Over 143 punts, he has averaged 43.4 yards per punt. The average was 42.5 in 2023, 41.7 in 2024, and 46.0 in 2025, so there was a fairly significant improvement that can hopefully carry over and continue. Also, that was ALL net in 2026. Only 13 of his punts in 2025 were returned. Ebel had a long of 60+ in each season, but those could have been “bad” kicks that came out low and then bounced and skittered forward. He could also have a massive leg that was limited by field position. He has had 10 touchbacks the last 2 seasons while dropping 42 of 92 punts inside the 20, so that would fit the “massive leg having his average stunted by field position” narrative.
Backup punter Conor Weasler has not been on the field in his first 3 seasons, and I am not going to find high school punting highlights.
Freshman Joe Daniel is listed as both a kicker and a punter. I almost skipped over him since he’s not on the depth chart, but I realized he would be literally the only person listed on the roster that I did not at least mention and felt bad. No, I did not go find his kicking/punting highlights or stats. He will not be playing unless injuries get wild.
The punters are also listed in the same order as the holders for FGs. I miss the days of backup QBs being holders.
Kaden Schickel has transferred in from Michigan State and is listed first on the depth chart. He had spent 2 years not playing at James Madison then took over as the long snapper in 2023 before going to East Lansing for 2024 where he had that role for 8 games before a season ending injury sidelined him. Schickel did not play in 2025. I could not find any evidence that Schickel has had a bad snap in a game, and this SI piece specifically says he had 0 bad snaps in 59 punts and 71 FGs/PATs.
Stone Owens is the sophomore backup here. No game action last season. Was twice all-district in high school according to his Vanderbilt bio. Backup long snapper content!
This group is interesting. Junior Sherrill is listed first. He returned 16 kickoffs for 427 yards, including 1 TD, in 2024 then took a year off from those duties. Tre Richardson was the primary returner in 2025. In a weird coincidence, he also had exactly 427 return yards, but it was with 1 more return and no TDs. Having your clear and unchallenged WR1 as your primary kick returner, especially in a world where kick returns are becoming less common due to the inside-the-25 fair catch rule.
Kayleb Barnett is 2A on the depth chart. He had 1 21-yard return in 2025, but he certainly has the electric speed and quickness to be dangerous as a kick returner. The concern with Barnett is his size. He is still listed at only 5’8” and 155 pounds. Big open field hits could take a serious toll on him.
Freshman RB Evan Hampton is the last name on the sheet. This role may well be his sooner rather than later if he is as dynamic as the scuttlebutt indicates and can make good decisions on when to return versus when to fair catch or kneel. It would also be a preferred option to have a player further down the depth chart at his position take the kicks instead of WR1.
Martel Hight keeps his spot as the primary punt returner. With the end of his time as a WR, Hight may be even more explosive at returner as he puts fewer miles on his legs and has fewer things occupying his mind. He was still the returner for all but 2 of Vanderbilt’s punt returns last season. Those 10 returns went for 76 yards with a long of 19. In 2024, Hight had 18 punt returns for 265 yards with a long of 57 yards. Getting back to a 14.7 yards per return average instead of just 7.6 yards per return is almost an extra first down for the offense once a game. That can definitely help when you have a kicker with the range of the Brocket Launcher.
Alabama transfer WR Cole Adams may have a chance to return punts, too, as PR2 on the depth chart. Adams returned 19 punts for 156 yards with a long of 36 in 2025. That was a big step forward in average (8.2) from 5.3 in 2024 when he had 58 return yards on 11 returns.
Vanderbilt looks to have a kicker and punter who each can hit it as well as anyone in the country. Both returners are a threat to take the ball to the house. Special teams should be a big plus for Vanderbilt again in 2026. The only “concern” is that the top returner spots are key starters. It would be great if the Commodores could save Sherrill and Hight from those duties, but good returns are a great way to impact a game. Unless someone else steps up to do similar damage, they should stay in those roles.
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