Clark Lea says Vanderbilt’s quarterback battle is shifting out of the wide-open, developmental stage and into decision mode as fall camp approaches.
The Commodores spent spring practice giving all four quarterbacks meaningful reps while Lea managed the competition carefully. Now, with the season set to open in just over a month, he says the staff needs to start sorting out a starter.
“I think we've seen strong performance from the four guys that have been competing for the job,” Lea said. “And so the reps we take during camp will be strategic and will be pointed towards making a decision.”
Vanderbilt has not publicly revealed which way Lea is leaning, though Vandy on SI projects five-star freshman Jared Curtis to win the job and veteran Blaze Berlowitz to back him up. Jack Elliott and Whit Muschamp remain in the mix as well, even if their path to the top of the depth chart looks steeper.
Lea said at SEC Media Days that he could use multiple quarterbacks if the situation called for it, but he would rather settle on one clear starter. If Vanderbilt does rotate more than one quarterback, he said it would be done selectively to fit the roster’s strengths.
For now, the goal is to get to a decision quickly without forcing it. Lea said he is aiming to have a strong read on the competition by around August 15.
“I'm really targeting that first scrimmage because coming out of that with a great evaluation to say ‘we can to organize a depth chart?’" Lea said.
“All of that to me is about how we distribute reps. That's where the depth chart builds chemistry.
That's where the depth chart can be helpful. If I don't feel like we're ready for that because there's just been inconsistency in play or we need to take it longer.
There's a second scrimmage that will backed up that week that'll give us a chance to continue to evaluate.”
In Other News...
Clark Lea Sees A Big Vanderbilt Benefit In NCAA Eligibility Change
College footballs new Five-for-Five eligibility rule is already drawing praise from Clark Lea, who sees a practical win for Vanderbilt as much as a philosophical one. The NCAAs change gives student-athletes five years of eligibility, with the clock starting after they turn 19 or at the beginning of their first academic year if they turn 19 after Sept. 1, and Lea said the biggest benefit may be the simplicity it brings to roster planning.
For coaches, the rule cuts down on the kind of year-to-year bookkeeping that has long complicated depth charts, especially the need to track redshirt status and participation limits. It also comes as the NCAA continues to sort through another eligibility question, after a Colorado judge ruled that players from the 2022 class have a fifth season available to them, pending the associations final decision. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Tennessee Opportunity May Come Down To One Vols Weakness
The build-up to this rivalry game has turned into a true freshman quarterbacks spotlight, with Vanderbilt and Tennessee both leaning into new faces as they prepare for the next chapter of one of the SECs sharpest in-state meetings. Tennessee has spent the offseason reshaping its defense, bringing in Jim Knowles as coordinator and adding new personnel, while Vanderbilts own path to an edge may come through a defense that has to hold up against a more experienced, better-stocked opponent.
For Vanderbilt, the appeal is obvious: if the game stays tight, home-field pressure can matter, and the Commodores have reason to believe this one could live in that range. The Vols have changed enough on one side of the ball to make the matchup harder to sort out than it looked a few months ago, but there is still a sense that one area of Tennessees defense could leave an opening. If Vanderbilt can make the right plays at the right time, the door to a home upset stays open deep into this one. [Read more 🡒]