Vanderbilt’s second day of fall camp brought a clear theme: the Commodores have real pieces to work with on defense, and a veteran wideout is making a case to be a trusted target no matter who wins the quarterback job.
The linebacker room looked especially sturdy Thursday, with Bryan Longwell, Bryce Cowan and Nick Rinaldi all flashing in a group that should be one of Vanderbilt’s most experienced units. That kind of continuity matters, and linebackers coach Nick Lezynski made it clear he sees the group’s development as a major reason for optimism.
"Those guys have all been in our program for four or five years now, so seeing their growth and development is awesome," Vanderbilt linebackers coach Nick Lezynski said. "They are all top-level (Southeastern Conference) players and I think part of it is they've grown and developed, they've had their exposures, and they've all had success and shown that they can have success on a big stage in big moments."
Longwell, who has been a fixture in the linebacker group for the past few seasons, was one of the loudest voices on the field Thursday. He said the group’s familiarity with one another has helped sharpen how they play together.
"I feel like when you're with another linebacker for a long time, your brains start to become one and it's kind of like a hive mind," Longwell said. "We rotated a lot of us last year and I think that's given us a lot of flexibility and a lot of chemistry there too."
Rinaldi kept showing why Vanderbilt values his versatility. He’s expected to help both as a linebacker and as a pass rusher, and his production from last season - 3.5 sacks and a team-leading nine QB hurries - has carried into camp. Rinaldi said his growth has come from a deeper connection to the game.
"My love for the game has grown and I'm still new to the game, compared to the other guys. But, the love has grown so much since I got to college, and you'd be surprised, it's been exponential as I've started to play more and become a leader in all these new things," Rinaldi said.
Cowan also stood out and looks positioned for a bigger role this fall. He’s had flashes before, but Vanderbilt wants more steady production from him, and Lezynski pointed to that kind of development as the next step.
"Bryce is super athletic, long, very physical, with very violent block destruction. He's shown that on special teams, and he has become a three-down player in the last few years," Lezynski said.
"The best measure, I think, of how you can tell a guy's developing, is when they start to coach the other players, so he's now coaching our younger guys. He's talking and coaching our guys and speaking our language, that's how I know he's ready to take the next step."
Cowan said consistency has been the focus this offseason, and he believes that approach is already paying off.
"You can't be inconsistent and expect to make plays, and I just feel like the more consistent you are, you know, those plays just want to come to you. So now, it's a matter of just staying consistent," Cowan said.
"I just never gave up. I kept on, even when times were bad, even when I knew I wasn't going to get as many reps, I always kept going in practice."
The secondary also drew attention, especially at safety, where Vanderbilt has built real depth. CJ Heard, Carson Lawrence, Dontae Carter and Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones all stood out in Thursday’s work.
Jones, one of the more touted additions in the portal class, looked like a potential impact piece with his size, length and ball skills. Heard brought physicality, Carter showed off speed and athleticism, and Lawrence, now entering his true sophomore season, looked like a breakout candidate at the hybrid Star spot with instincts both against the run and in coverage.
Up front, the transfer additions made noise too. Iowa transfer Brian Allen Jr., who sacked Diego Pavia in last season’s ReliaQuest Bowl, showed power as an edge rusher and mixed that with size and athleticism. Boston College transfer Edwin Kolenge also impressed, displaying burst and strength off the line that should help deepen Vanderbilt’s edge rotation.
At receiver, Alabama transfer Cole Adams made the kind of plays that matter most for a quarterback still trying to settle the position battle. Adams was dependable on Tuesday, hauling in several tough catches in traffic from both Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz while they were scrambling away from pressure. Though he spent much of his time at Alabama as a kick returner, Adams is making a strong early push for a much larger role as a receiver in Nashville.
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