Vanderbilt Football Mailbag: Kicking off the 2026 season – vanderbilthustler.com

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2025 was the greatest year in the history of Vanderbilt Football. The ’Dores won a program-record 10 games on the back of exceptional play from Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia. The program was ranked in the AP Poll for 14 consecutive weeks — getting slotted as high as No. 9 in the nation. With the departure of Pavia and now-Philadelphia Eagle Eli Stowers, the Commodores now enter a transitional period. 
Still, the entirety of last year’s coaching staff has returned, as well as some familiar faces such as wideout Junior Sherrill, running back Sedrick Alexander and safety CJ Heard to lead the way. There will be a variety of fresh faces donning Black and Gold as well, as head coach Clark Lea brought in 17 transfers and 20 freshmen this offseason. 
That first-year class is most notably headlined by five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, who, to the surprise of many, lost a training camp position battle to senior signal caller Blaze Berlowitz. 
With all these changes, The Hustler staff took to answering some of the key questions about the new-look Vanderbilt squad. 
Eli Landers, Sports Editor: Both quarterbacks looked up-and-down in training camp and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Berlowitz, a three-year veteran of offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s system, is the safer choice to send out onto the field. The senior’s football IQ and accurate arm are what ultimately gave him the edge over Curtis and should keep him steady in high-pressure situations. 
There is no denying, however, that the Commodore Faithful are eager to see the freshman phenom under center and are slightly disappointed by Berlowitz winning the starting job. Therefore, expect Curtis to come in quickly should Berlowitz have a bad performance or two. 
And, at this point in time, the starting quarterback role is far from permanent. Both gunslingers should be getting reps in during Vanderbilt’s first two games of the season, which will serve essentially as an addendum to training camp. Whoever the starter is for the Week 3 matchup versus North Carolina State should be the consensus leader of the offense going forward.  
Jack Frutkin, Deputy Sports Editor: Lea’s decision to start Berlowitz over the 19-year-old Curtis seems way more about the latter than the former. I am not a fan of this move; I always prefer to let the rookie play freely and get comfortable in the pocket without worrying that one risky decision will get him pulled. 
Coming off a season in which the Commodores started the Heisman Trophy runner-up at quarterback, not going all in on the five-star recruit makes zero sense to me. Quarterbacks rotating drives rarely works and will prevent either passer from finding a rhythm. Earning full reps with this new offensive line against Austin Peay and Delaware would have been paramount in preparing Curtis for the gauntlet of NFL-level defensive lines in the SEC he will face.  
I could understand this decision if Berlowitz had been established as Pavia’s clear successor before the Black and Gold landed the top recruit, but that is not the case. The 6’3 signal-caller has struggled to push the ball down the field, lacking the confidence and arm strength to connect on big plays.  
I expect Berlowitz to serve as a game manager, which should be enough against Austin Peay and Delaware, until Curtis gets the nod in Week 3 against NC State on Family Weekend. I have little doubt that in his snaps in the first two weeks, the Nashville, Tennessee, native will demonstrate the talent disparity between the two quarterbacks. The rookie will likely be unpolished and make some poor decisions, but his upside will prove too obvious for Lea to ignore.  
Frutkin: Cole Spence. It’s hard to fill the shoes of Stowers, Vanderbilt’s top receiving target who was the second tight end taken in the 2026 NFL Draft after racking up 62 receptions and 769 yards last season.  
Nobody is more ready to fill that void than graduate Spence, who quietly recorded an impressive 2025 campaign. The Roswell, Georgia, native was instrumental in Vanderbilt’s 31-24 win over then-No. 10 LSU, tallying 5 grabs for 56 yards and a touchdown. Spence also proved key in the ’Dores’ blocking unit, providing extra protection for Pavia in two tight-end sets, with Stowers often on the outside.  
Spence is one of the only skill-position players who has previously produced for Vanderbilt. I expect Berlowitz to rely on the big target for easy looks early on, especially when he may refrain from launching the ball down the field. Furthermore, Spence will be a key option over the middle when Curtis faces pressure in the pocket during conference matchups. With his impact both as a blocker and in the passing game, I expect a breakout season from the 22-year-old.  
Mikey Andersen, Lead Sports Analyst: Sherrill. The man has everything you look for in an electric No. 1 wide receiver: the blazing speed, YAC production, ability to make people miss in space, and typical playmaking swagger. On a team looking to define its leadership following the departure of Pavia, having a playmaker of Sherrill’s pedigree will be even more important. 
Sherrill came out this year saying he believes he can be the best receiver in the SEC, and the media agrees. After being named to the preseason Biletnikoff Watch List, which is given to the top receiver in college football, SEC dominance seems within reach. I believe much of his production this season will depend on quarterback play. Sherrill’s speed and agility allow him to get open on slants and comebacks, but getting the ball isn’t guaranteed. If Sherrill can create a connection with Berlowitz or Curtis, whoever the long-term starter may be, then more dominant performances — like his three-touchdown game against Utah State — should be in his future. 
Tristan Rutman, Deputy Sports Editor: My heart and mind are torn here. My mind says that it’ll almost certainly be one of the Commodores’ newly acquired pieces on either the offensive or defensive line — those two players being offensive tackle Beau Johnson and EDGE Brian Allen Jr. Johnson, a transfer from North Dakota State, entered the portal as one of the premier offensive linemen, accumulating a solid trophy case of accolades last season. Allen Jr. plays on the other side of the ball, making his way to West End from Iowa (to whom, ironically, Vanderbilt lost in the ReliaQuest Bowl last December). My heart, however, yearns for more electric plays from Tre Richardson, who left Nashville to join the Louisville Cardinals in the offseason transfer cycle. That said, I’ll throw in Ja’Cory Thomas, a junior coming over from Old Dominion, as a potential high-level impact newcomer in a relatively shallow receiving room. 
Rutman: I suppose it makes sense for there to be some continuity from last season, so I’ll have to say Vanderbilt’s secondary looks like its biggest weakness heading into the fall. While there are some bright spots in the safety room with Heard and Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones, the rest of the unit is largely inexperienced and has glaring holes. Martel Hight got his fair share of interceptions (four) last season, but he seemed to get burned in man-to-man coverage on nearly every snap from scrimmage. Jordan Matthews, who boasts an impressive physical frame at 6’2 and 192 pounds and excels in man-to-man, has yet to turn his immense potential into on-field results and leaves much to be desired in zone coverage schemes. Dontae Carter was a valuable depth piece in last year’s secondary but can sometimes have disciplinary issues and struggles with keeping his temper in check. The story of the defensive back room is essentially, “Yes, but…” leading me to believe that it is currently Vanderbilt’s weakest unit on the field. 
Colin Adams, Deputy Sports Editor: With Richardson — Vanderbilt’s leader in receiving yards from last season — transferring to Louisville while Stowers heads to the NFL, Beck and the ’Dores offense will have to rely heavily on new leaders to step up in the receiving room. The receiving corps will likely be built around Junior Sherrill, who recently was named to the preseason Biletnikoff Watch List, an honor for the nation’s top wide receivers, coming into the 2026 season. Beyond Sherrill, the Commodores added Thomas from Old Dominion and Cole Adams from Alabama, bringing more size to the room. With even more talent sitting dormant on a deep and developing bench unit, the offense has potential to shine behind a breakout year from this receiving room. The challenge, however, will come from particularly difficult matchups against talented secondaries in the SEC, including two of the top 10 secondaries in the conference in Alabama and Georgia. Vanderbilt’s first few games will give receivers an opportunity to take advantage of weaker defensive backs before they are thrown into the defensive gauntlet that is the SEC. I believe that, by the end of the season, Vanderbilt’s receiving corps will be viewed among the top half of groups in the conference.  
Landers: I said this on national television and will stand on it now: the ’Dores do not have that hard of a schedule. Considered to be the second-easiest in the SEC, Vanderbilt will have the chance to warm up with three home games and play 2025 bottom-feeders in Arkansas and Mississippi State while facing just four ranked opponents in comparison to last year’s six. I believe with an experienced and winning coaching staff, Vanderbilt will also be able to come away with victories in some toss-up games against the likes of Auburn, Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee. While I doubt they will be playoff contenders, I predict the Commodores will still post a winning mark of 8-4 — earning bowl eligibility for the third consecutive year. 
Charlie Siegel, Sports Podcast Producer: The Commodores will play different football this season. They don’t have a proven quarterback, neither Berlowitz nor Curtis, who can guarantee hundreds of passing yards and promise points. They do, however, have a trio of running backs that will presumably lead the offense through growing pains on the ground. Expect senior Alexander, junior MK Young and sophomore Jamezell Lassiter to garner plenty of touches running behind a reloaded offensive line. While it might not be the high-powered passing attack that Commodore fans were blessed with last year, it will be a more-than-effective assault against early nonconference matchups and lower-level SEC defenses. I don’t believe Vanderbilt will be contending for a playoff spot in December, but nonetheless, the ’Dores will have a fun season scattered with plays, drives and even games that will give them high hopes for the era to come. I predict a 7-5 record with multiple losses boiling down to final drives and overtimes.  
Adams: A lot of eyes will be on the Commodores this season, coming off their most successful season as a program. When I look at the ’Dores slate, I have a lot of mixed feelings. At first glance, I see four ranked games and believe that at least one is winnable, along with a favorable out-of-conference schedule and plenty of middle-of-the-pack SEC opponents. However, I can’t help but notice the potential on the other side of the ball for many of Vanderbilt’s opponents this season. Starting the season against Austin Peay and Delaware at home gives Clark Lea time to test Berlowitz and see if Curtis has what it takes to perform in real games when given proper snaps. From then on, they face an NC State team that I believe could make a “dark horse” run at the ACC title. Then, the Commodores will travel for a road game at Auburn, followed by matchups with two top-ten opponents in Georgia and Ole Miss. I believe the Arkansas game might be the Commodores’ first chance to breathe in SEC play. I’m not saying that I think Vanderbilt has a brutal schedule, but to reiterate Landers’ and Siegel’s points, I see a lot of their games as toss-ups. I think the team will finish the season around the 6-6 mark, securing another bowl season berth, with wins over Austin Peay, Delaware, NC State, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.  
Vanderbilt will play its first match of the season at home against Austin Peay Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. CDT. 
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