Vanderbilt’s fourth day of fall camp brought a different feel from the first three. After Saturday’s off day, the Commodores came back Sunday morning with more juice and a sharper edge, and that energy showed up across a practice that produced a few clear themes.
The quarterback competition had a pulse to it, but neither Jared Curtis nor Blaze Berlowitz turned in a runaway performance. Curtis had moments where the ball came out on time and the throws looked clean, and his arm talent showed up in spots. But he also forced a couple of throws that stood out for the wrong reasons, the kind of decisions that suggest there’s still plenty of room for growth as he works through progressions and figures out where to go with the football.
Berlowitz, meanwhile, didn’t build on what he showed Friday. Sunday was a rougher outing, especially when it came to decision-making.
He had some positive reps, but there were too many mistakes to gloss over. Whether that was simply a bad day or a more accurate snapshot of where he is right now should become clearer as camp rolls on, but for the moment it looked like Curtis may have gained some separation.
Up front, Vanderbilt’s defensive line made its presence felt. The interior group in particular looked active and disruptive, getting into the backfield and penetrating the offensive line with regularity. That was a strong sign for a unit that helped make Vanderbilt one of the better run defenses in college football a season ago and could be poised to improve again if the inside pass rush keeps coming.
Boston College EDGE transfer Edwin Kolenge was part of that strong showing. He flashed his pass-rush ability, turned in a couple of plays at the line of scrimmage and showed a few different moves that could make him a useful piece in the rotation. The confidence appears to be building for him in his new setting, and he looks like he’s settling in well.
Back in June, Vanderbilt defensive ends coach Adam Morris described what he sees in Kolenge this way: “He has some real natural pass rush ability that I think you saw when he was at Boston College. We're excited about him.
I think he's versatile, he can rush on the edge. I think he's strong enough to hold his own inside too.
So, it's been effort and motor with Edwin,” Morris told Vandy On SI in June.
The offensive line had a tougher time matching that energy. It didn’t consistently create the same kind of movement at the point of attack, though that’s not entirely surprising given the group’s makeup. Vanderbilt has only one returning starter on the line in Cade McConnell, so communication and chemistry are still very much works in progress.
Even so, there were encouraging signs. North Dakota State transfer Beau Johnson looked strong across most of his reps, and Vandy On SI projects him as a starter who could end up being a major factor for Vanderbilt’s offense this fall.
That battle between the offensive and defensive fronts is shaping up as one of the most important storylines of camp. Sunday belonged to the defense more than the offense, but there’s still plenty of time for that to shift.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt's Next QB Hope Comes With One Massive Question
ESPN analyst Billy Tucker recently singled out 51 freshmen he expects to make an immediate impact across college football, and the quarterback names at the top of that conversation are already drawing attention in the SEC. For Vanderbilt, the focus lands on Jared Curtis, the five-star arrival who gives the program a fresh jolt of recruiting cachet at a position that has shaped so much of the Commodores recent outlook after Diego Pavia.
Curtis brings the kind of long-term hope Vanderbilt has been chasing, but the larger question is how quickly that promise turns into production when the depth chart opens up. He is not the only highly regarded freshman quarterback in the league worth watching, either, with Tennessees Faizon Brandon also in the mix as programs try to sort out their future under center. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Rise Just Turned Real As A New QB Era Looms
Vanderbilts revival has carried into the offseason in a way the program has not seen in years, with 2026 football season tickets already sold out after a historic 2025 run led by Diego Pavia. Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist in school history and helped push the Commodores to their highest win total and national rankings in decades, a surge of interest that has clearly reshaped the mood around the program.
Now the harder part begins. Vanderbilt has to turn that momentum into something sustainable without the quarterback who drove so much of it, and the next chapter hinges on how the staff sorts out the position battle between true freshman Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz. The sellout shows demand is real, but the Commodores still have to answer the most important question of all before the 2026 season ever arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Rebuilt Tight End Room Has One Camp Battle To Watch
Vanderbilt has spent fall camp reshaping its tight end room after the departure of Eli Stowers, and the early stages of that makeover have been led by a blend of transfers and returners. Tight ends coach Brendan Flaherty has pointed to Jayvontay Conner as a steady presence, while also working in Maurice Veney and Walter Taylor as the Commodores try to build depth at a spot that suddenly looks much different than it did a year ago. Cole Spence remains in the mix, too, giving this position group a healthy amount of competition as the season approaches.
The intrigue now is how quickly the newcomers can settle in once the pads stay on and the rotation starts to matter. Conner has given Vanderbilt a reliable baseline, Veney is adjusting to a bigger stage after his path up from Division II, and Taylor is still developing into a true tight end after beginning his college career elsewhere. For a team that needs production from the position, the battle for snaps in this rebuilt room feels like one of the more important camp storylines to watch. [Read more 🡒]