NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt’s defense left Clark Lea with a much better feeling after the second scrimmage of fall camp Saturday than it did after the first one.
That was a meaningful shift for a unit that, in Lea’s eyes, had some trouble early in camp handling the run and pass on the perimeter and giving up too many big plays. By the time the Commodores wrapped up fall camp, the defense had clearly taken a step forward.
“For sure it’s better. I think that was evidenced in the way they pursued the ball tonight.
I actually thought there was better coverage. I thought Steve [Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Steve Gregory] did a little more with the packages,” Lea said on if he felt the play of his defense was better than the first scrimmage.
“I thought they responded well.”
One of the clearest changes came in the secondary. During the first scrimmage, receivers seemed to get loose down the sideline too often. On Saturday night, Vanderbilt did a better job keeping pass catchers in front of it, even if there were still plays made downfield.
That steadier, more disciplined approach fit the way the defense had looked across the final week of camp, when it appeared to play with more urgency than it had earlier in August.
Lea and his staff now seem comfortable with where that side of the ball stands as Vanderbilt moves toward its 2026 opener against Austin Peay, which is less than two weeks away.
Another encouraging takeaway from camp was depth. Lea said the Commodores had reserve players at every defensive position making plays throughout practice, and that, along with the veterans expected to start, has him thinking this could be the best defense Vanderbilt has had during his time leading the program.
That matters because the offense is still working through the early stages of settling in with a new quarterback. Vanderbilt knows that means the defense will have to carry more of the load early on while the offense comes together.
Lea said that expectation is part of the reality this group is walking into.
“What winning is going to ask of us this year is different than what it was last year. And that’s a group that needs to get off the field on third down.
We need to turn the ball over. We were able to do that today,” Lea said.
“I think we’re heading in the right way. We’ve got to stay low and just keep at it.
But that’s a unit we’re going to rely on, especially early in the season.”
In Other News...
Vanderbilt's Quarterback Decision Just Put One Battle Front And Center
Vanderbilt has settled its quarterback question for the season opener, at least for now, naming Blaze Berlowitz the starter against Austin Peay. The transfer from New Mexico State arrived in Nashville as a backup option, but he worked his way into the role ahead of a competition that included five-star freshman Jared Curtis, giving the Commodores an experienced hand to begin the 2025 season.
Diego Pavias public backing of Berlowitz only added to the significance of the decision, since the former Vanderbilt quarterback praised the way Berlowitz has handled himself in camp. The move sets the tone for an opener that now carries a little more intrigue, because the job may be settled for Week 1 even if the larger quarterback conversation around Vanderbilt is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt's Quarterback Decision Just Created A Bigger Week 1 Debate
Vanderbilt has settled on Blaze Berlowitz as its starting quarterback for the 2026 season, ending a camp battle that stretched through both spring and fall. The Commodores still spent plenty of time sorting through the race before head coach Clark Lea narrowed the competition to Berlowitz and five-star freshman Jared Curtis, and the answer now gives the program a clear direction heading into the opener.
Jared Curtis is still expected to get on the field against Austin Peay on Sept. 5, which keeps the quarterback situation from feeling completely closed off. Berlowitz may have won the job, but Curtis involvement gives Week 1 a little extra intrigue, especially with Vanderbilt looking to establish what this offense can be right away and what the future at the position might look like soon after. [Read more 🡒]