Vanderbilt Football Projected to Finish Near Bottom of the SEC – si.com

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The coaches and players of Vanderbilt football have never been a group that seems to care about the outside perception of them. And they likely will not care about the newest prediction about their team this season either.
Friday, the media released their official SEC football preseason poll following this week’s SEC Football Media Days. In the poll, Vanderbilt was picked to finish 13th in the conference, ahead of only Kentucky, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
It does not come as a surprise that Vanderbilt was picked as low as it is in the preseason poll given the roster turnover the Commodores experienced this offseason. Vanderbilt no longer has Diego Pavia, nor does it have tight end Eli Stowers and offensive lineman Jordan White.
Vanderbilt is entering a new era of the program. The Commodores will have a new starting quarterback, whether it be five-star freshman Jared Curtis or veteran Blaze Berlowitz. Vanderbilt did retain offensive playmakers such as wide receiver Junior Sherrill, running backs Sedrick Alexander and MK Young and tight end Cole Spence. Vanderbilt also grabbed offensive linemen Beau Johnson and Lyndon Cooper from the transfer portal to help rebuild its offensive front.
Defensively, Vanderbilt was able to bring back safety CJ Heard, cornerback Martel Hight and EDGE Miles Capers while also adding EDGE Brian Allen Jr. from Iowa and safety Ricardo Jones from Clemson.
Vanderbilt does not view itself any differently based on where it has been picked by the media, nor should it. If anything, it would only encourage the team to embrace the misfit role even more.
During his opening statement at SEC Football Media Days Tuesday, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea addressed the topic of preseason predictions.
“We cannot allow our program to be defined by the past or by anyone on the outside. Not by last season, not by preseason rankings, not by media expectations, not by praise, not by criticism. We will be defined by who we are, by what we choose to do and not to do every day,” Lea said.
If Vanderbilt’s 2025 season said anything about preseason predictions, it would be to not put any investment into the preseason poll. Last season, Vanderbilt was projected to finish 13th in the SEC as well but had a historic 10-3 season, the program’s first ever 10-win season. The Commodores were knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff, but were left a couple spots out.
It is going to be difficult for Vanderbilt to replicate last season or attain a better record than last year with all the new faces. One thing is certain about Vanderbilt: it will continue to mind its business and strive after its own standard.
“Inevitably, people will spend the next several weeks predicting what this team will become. That's just a part of college football,” Lea said. “The truth is, none of us know the story yet. But I do know this: over the next six months, we will write it in our choices, and if we choose to stay committed to who we are, we act with courage. If we remain faithful to one another and disciplined in our process, we will write a story worthy of Team Six.”
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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