The quarterback race at Vanderbilt is still very much alive, but Clark Lea isn’t ready to crown anyone just yet.
That much became clear after the Commodores’ first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, when Lea confirmed the battle has been pared down to Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz. Those two were always the names hovering at the center of the discussion, and now they’re the only ones left standing.
“It’s going to be those two guys competing. That’s what it is,” Lea said after Saturday’s scrimmage.
Even with that clarification, Lea stopped short of making the call he had hoped to make before camp really got rolling. In his pre-fall camp press conference, he said he would ideally like to have a starter identified by the end of the first scrimmage. After nine practices, including Saturday’s session, he still isn’t there.
“I know I sat up here a week-and-a-half ago, I talked about trying to identify the quarterback after the first scrimmage. I’m not ready to do that yet. And I want to explain a little bit of the process here,” Lea said.
What’s holding the staff back is pretty straightforward: neither quarterback has separated enough from the other. Vanderbilt has been at it since camp opened Aug. 5, and the two have traded strong stretches along the way.
Curtis has had days where he looked like the better quarterback, including Saturday. Berlowitz has also had practices where he has been the more impressive of the pair.
The issue, at least from Lea’s perspective, is consistency. He and his staff are looking for one of them to create real distance over time, not just flash for a practice or a stretch. That separation hasn’t shown up yet.
Lea said both quarterbacks had good moments in the scrimmage, especially when it came to running the offense and making decisions. But he also made it clear that Curtis stood out in a way he hadn’t before.
“I thought today, in particular, was Jared’s best day. I think from a consistency standpoint, I thought he operated well.
I thought you saw some of his play creativity come out today, too. And sometimes that’s hard to script,” Lea said.
There’s still time, and Vanderbilt doesn’t appear eager to rush the decision. The next major checkpoint comes with the Commodores’ second scrimmage on Aug. 22, and the upcoming week should carry the most weight yet in the quarterback competition.
Eventually, a starter will be named. For now, Lea and offensive coordinator Tim Beck are keeping the process open and continuing to evaluate both quarterbacks as camp moves toward Austin Peay prep.
“I’ll sit with Tim [Beck] and plot a course for the decision. We have this week, week three, week four heading into bench control scrimmage.
And then obviously we’ll start Austin Peay prep. So we have a little time here and we’ll use all the time we need,” Lea said.
In Other News...
Vanderbilts Defense Already Has One Strength Fans Will Notice Fast
Vanderbilts first fall camp scrimmage at FirstBank Stadium offered an early look at where the defense may be ahead of the offense. The line did a solid job holding up against the run, and the linebacker group brought a steady presence with veterans Bryan Longwell, Nick Rinaldi and Bryce Cowan helping set the tone. Jamison Curtis also drew attention in a group that looked organized and active throughout the session.
The most noticeable strength, though, was in the secondary, where the safety room stood out with repeated impact plays. Ricardo Jones, Dontae Carter and Davin Chandler all showed up around the ball, giving the Commodores a position group that already looks like a reliable backbone as camp moves forward. The pass rush still has room to become more consistent, but the early signs suggest there is a clear identity taking shape on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Faizon Brandon Is Making Tennessees Quarterback Battle A Real Debate
The quarterback race in Knoxville has turned into one of the more closely watched camp storylines in the SEC, with freshman Faizon Brandon pushing redshirt freshman George MacIntyre for the job. Brandon has helped make this a real debate in recent scrimmages, and while Tennessee has not named a starter yet, the early competition has given the offense a fresh dose of intrigue as the Volunteers sort out who gives them the best chance to settle in at the position.
The ripple effect is easy to feel across the league, where Alabama is also sorting through its own competition and Vanderbilt is monitoring a future of its own at quarterback. For the Commodores, the presence of five-star Jared Curtis alongside veteran Blaze Berlowitz gives the room both immediate experience and long-term upside, and Curtis is widely expected to eventually become the primary option. For now, though, Tennessees battle stands out because Brandon has made it impossible to treat the depth chart like a formality. [Read more 🡒]