Cole Spence’s path back to Vanderbilt football didn’t take the long, ugly road a hyperextended knee so often does. It took about a month, a lot of patience and, by his own account, a heavy dose of faith.
The tight end got hurt during one of the Commodores’ early in-season practices, just six days before the season opener. On a one-on-one rep, Spence went after a ball that was a little low and tried to slow himself down as he reached for it. That’s when the knee gave way.
The timing was brutal. Spence had already missed the entire 2023 season early in his career because of an injury suffered before that year, so the last thing he wanted was another season lost before it even really started. Still, he never believed this setback would keep him out for good.
“I was pretty upset because obviously I wanted to play every game for this team,” Spence told Vandy On SI of his initial feelings when he first got injured less than a week leading up to the Austin Peay game. “But I was there and I was just praying like ‘God, whatever your will is, let your will be done.’ Obviously I didn’t like the news that we had, but I had faith I knew I’d be back at some point.”
Clark Lea said in his Tuesday press conference the week of Vanderbilt’s game against Auburn that knee hyperextensions can turn ugly fast, and that nine times out of 10 a player with Spence’s injury would be out for the season. Spence wound up being the exception. The work mattered: the recovery, the attention to detail, even the sleep and food habits he kept during that month away from football.
“I’d say we definitely got lucky. In terms of what point I thought I’d be able to go, I mean I always had faith I’d be able to go.
It wasn’t until the doctors said ‘Hey, you can actually go.’ Like okay bet,” Spence said as he recalled the moment where he knew he was returning from the injury.
He had hoped to beat the timeline and make it back for Vanderbilt’s game against NC State. That didn’t happen.
During the week of prep for that game, Spence pushed to convince the team doctors he was ready for the nonconference finale, but the answer stayed no. From the sideline, he watched Vanderbilt pull off a wild win, and the experience only sharpened his appetite to get back on the field.
That ended up being the last week the tight end room had to cover for him. The following Saturday brought his return at Auburn, the first time Spence had suited up for a Vanderbilt game since the ReliaQuest Bowl to close the 2025 season. Walking into Jordan-Hare Stadium, crossing the field from one end zone to the other and heading into the locker room made the comeback feel real before the first snap even came.
Then he got back in the game.
“Great feeling, great feeling. I really, really missed it.
I can’t say just what it meant just to be back out there with the guys. I mean, this is a big part of what I feel my calling in this life is to use the gifts that God has given me to play this game and hopefully spread His word and spread His kingdom,” Spence said.
Faith is central to how Spence talks about everything, and his injury recovery was no different. He is the most outspoken Christian on Vanderbilt’s roster, and during the time he spent rehabbing, he looked for meaning in the wait.
Brother B, Vanderbilt football’s team pastor, pointed him toward a podcast called “The Daily Blade.” One episode focused on people in the Bible who endured hard trials before learning to lean more fully on God.
For Spence, that message hit home.
“At the time I didn’t really know about this, but that is what God was teaching me. I always try to have such faith in God.
It is so easy when everything’s going right to just step away and say ‘Man, I got this. I’m going to do this on my own,’” Spence told Vandy On SI.
“In reality, I can’t do anything for God. And it’s just always trying to do things with Him and as His child and as His servant.
So teaching me to just lean back on Him and say ‘Hey, this is who you are.’ I’m a child of God.”
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Added Another Big Recruiting Win For Mark Byington
Vanderbilts recruiting momentum under Mark Byington picked up again with the commitment of Declan Griffiths, a long, high-upside guard whose shooting profile fits what the Commodores want to build. The 6-foot-7 standout has drawn attention as one of the better players in the 2027 class, and his addition gives Vanderbilt another sign that Byingtons staff can sell both player development and a clear role for skilled perimeter talent.
Griffiths had spent time weighing his options after recent visits, with Vanderbilt getting a close look over the weekend as part of a broader tour that also included Boston College and Butler. For the Commodores, landing a shooter of his caliber is the kind of early recruiting win that can matter well beyond one class, especially if Byington keeps turning that mix of size and skill into an identity on the court. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Is Climbing Fast With One Concern
Ole Miss has found its quarterback stock rising quickly, and Trinidad Chambliss is a big reason why. After a strong start to the 2026 season, the Rebels signal-caller has stacked together productive passing and rushing production while looking every bit like a player who has put himself squarely on the NFL radar. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has already taken notice, pointing to Chambliss as one of the fastest climbers in the class and a name Vanderbilt has to prepare for this week.
Reids evaluation, though, also shows why the conversation around Chambliss is not entirely settled. The arm talent and playmaking are obvious, but there is still an element teams will keep circling back to as the season goes on, and that makes his November stretch worth watching closely. For Vanderbilt, the challenge is straightforward enough: slow down a quarterback whose profile is growing by the week before the wider draft debate around him gets even louder. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Ole Miss Game Carries A Family Twist Fans Will Feel
Vanderbilts upcoming meeting with Ole Miss has a family angle tucked into the matchup, with senior defensive analyst Bob Shoop and his son, Jay Shoop, the Rebels inside linebackers coach, set to spend the week on opposite sidelines. It will be the first time the two have coached against each other, a rare wrinkle in a conference game that already carries plenty of weight for both programs.
The Shoops have talked openly about what the moment means to them personally and professionally, but the build-up has also come with the kind of restraint football requires. Their conversations have been kept mostly away from scheme, and both are expecting to return to their usual father-son relationship once the game is over, which makes this one feel less like a one-off and more like a memorable pause in a relationship that will keep going afterward. [Read more 🡒]