Clark Lea didn’t sugarcoat Vanderbilt’s practice on Tuesday.
With the 2026 season opener just four days away, the Vanderbilt head coach made it clear he was unhappy with what he saw, saying, “I did not like the way we practiced today. I felt like we gave into the heat,” Lea said in his opening statement in his first weekly press conference Tuesday.
That heat was no small thing. Practice in Nashville came with temperatures in the 90s and a heat index that climbed into the triple digits.
Still, Lea wasn’t interested in hearing that as an excuse. He said the team’s standard has been higher for most of fall camp, with Tuesday looking more like one of the exceptions.
It wasn’t the first time he’s had to push his team in camp, either. Lea pointed back to last Wednesday, when he felt the group was drifting through practice instead of attacking it.
He followed that session with a challenge on effort and energy before Thursday’s practice, and he said the response was better. Tuesday, though, brought a similar message.
“I don’t want to be overly dramatic because I want to be honest. There were elements of practice that I liked and where I thought - go back to last Wednesday - things that I thought were kind of off,” Lea said.
“I thought the quarterback play seemed like it was decisive. I thought defensively on the whole it felt like a spirited day.
There were just a couple of groups that felt like we lacked the intensity we’re going to need and I see that as being conditional.”
Vanderbilt will now move indoors for the next two days, a step meant to keep the team fresh and avoid the worst of the scorching conditions. Lea and his staff want a group that is fully prepared and not dependent on circumstances. He described the standard he wants as “unconditional.”
The goal, as Lea laid it out, is simple: a team that is ready the moment the ball is snapped and one that plays cleanly from the start.
He also made it clear what he expects as Saturday approaches.
“I want a fresh and fast team Saturday, but we’re expecting it to be hot Saturday. And I need to see 115 people, every single one of us attacking the field independent of the conditions. I just felt like it wasn’t 100% today,” Lea said.
Even with Tuesday’s frustration, Lea sounded confident the team will answer the challenge. Vanderbilt’s preparation over the next couple of days will lean on the stronger stretches from camp, with the program hoping that a mental edge over the weather carries into Saturday night.
In Other News...
Former Vanderbilt Players Face Very Different NFL Futures After Cut Day
Cut day in the NFL left a mixed postcard for several former Vanderbilt players, with tight end Eli Stowers landing on the Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster and giving the Commodores a headline-worthy result as teams trimmed down after preseason play. Defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor and offensive lineman Isaia Glass also found next steps, each earning a spot on a practice squad, which at least keeps them inside the league conversation as the regular season approaches.
The picture is less certain for linebacker Langston Patterson, offensive lineman Bryce Henderson and safety Marlen Sewell, all of whom were waived and have not been reported on a practice squad since. For a Vanderbilt program that continues to send players into pro football, the aftermath of roster cuts serves as a reminder of how quickly those careers can split into very different paths, with some settling in for the season and others still waiting for the next opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Quarterback Battle Still Clouds An Offense Taking Shape
Vanderbilts offense is starting to take shape as fall camp winds down, and the clearest sign of progress is that most of the two-deep now looks settled enough to sketch out a projected depth chart for 2026. Around the roster, there are spots where the pecking order seems fairly defined, giving coach Clark Lea and his staff a better sense of where they stand as the season approaches and an official announcement looms.
The lingering uncertainty sits under center, where the quarterback competition remains the most closely watched part of camp and the biggest variable in how far this offense can go. Berlowitz and Curtis have both stayed in the mix, and until that battle is sorted out, the rest of Vanderbilts offensive blueprint will carry a little extra uncertainty no matter how much else is coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Fans Got A Tough NFL Reality Check On Cutdown Day
NFL cutdown day brought a familiar mix of relief and disappointment for several former Vanderbilt players as teams around the league trimmed rosters ahead of the regular season. A handful of Commodores survived the deadline and earned spots on 53-man rosters, a reminder that Vanderbilts reach in pro football still runs through plenty of locker rooms this time of year.
Others were not as fortunate, getting released as teams made their final decisions before opening weekend. For Vanderbilt fans, it was a quick snapshot of how spread out the programs NFL presence has become, with some alumni celebrating a place on the team while others now face the uncertainty that comes with waiting for the next call. [Read more 🡒]