Clark Lea isn’t closing the door on Blaze Berlowitz, even after Vanderbilt made its quarterback change and handed the job to five-star freshman Jared Curtis.
Berlowitz has gone from taking what Lea said was about 60% of the first-team reps in practice to roughly 20% this week, a clear sign that the quarterback room has shifted. Curtis is now the starter, Vanderbilt does not plan to play two quarterbacks the rest of the way, and after his breakout against Delaware, the job looks like Curtis’ to lose.
Still, Lea said Thursday that Berlowitz could wind up helping Vanderbilt later in the 2026 season.
“We’re gonna need Blaze,” Lea said Thursday. “I have 100% confidence in Blaze.”
That belief comes from more than just depth-chart necessity. Berlowitz is in his third season as a Vanderbilt quarterback and his fourth season working with offensive coordinator Tim Beck, so he knows the offense inside and out. Curtis changed the equation by pushing the ball down the field and making the attack more dynamic in Saturday’s game, but Lea and the staff clearly still trust Berlowitz as a player who can operate the system.
The downside is obvious: Vanderbilt’s offense doesn’t have the same explosiveness with Berlowitz as it does with Curtis. Berlowitz also didn’t help his case against Delaware, finishing 3-for-9 and failing to move the offense outside of a two-minute drill. Even so, Lea said the staff believes Berlowitz is better than that showing.
For Berlowitz, the bigger issue is how quickly the role changed. He was Vanderbilt’s starter just last week, and now he’s the backup. That’s a tough turn, but Lea said the quarterback has handled it the right way.
“I’ve been really impressed, this is challenging for him, too,” Lea said. “The way he’s handled himself is reflective of the kind of person that we want in our program.
He’s been a great teammate. He’s felt it all the way through.
Those who care much, feel much and I appreciate that about him. He’s stepped into his role and his responsibility and he’s done it like a pro.
He’s prepared the same way he was a week ago and the same way he was against Austin Peay and when his number is called, he’ll be ready to answer the call and that will be inevitable as the year goes on.”
If Berlowitz is needed again, Lea believes the experience he’s already banked could matter. He’d be the guy with two college starts to open the 2026 season, and while he’s been more of a bridge from Diego Pavia to Curtis than a long-term answer, he could still help Vanderbilt if Curtis misses time.
Lea said Berlowitz gave Vanderbilt the best chance to get organized against Austin Peay and Delaware, and even the fumble that nearly cost him the starting job hasn’t changed the staff’s view of him.
"Obviously also just in total support of Blaze Berlowitz,” Lea said. “This guy is been an incredible leader for us and such a tough individual and someone I have a ton of respect for and obviously anytime you're dealing with the quarterback position in particular making a change that way, we are we're full in support of Jared, but we're also full in support of Blaze.”
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Fans Will Notice Where This Weeks SEC Picks Get Messy
Week 2 was not a forgiving slate for the staffs SEC picks, and the collective record showed it. The group finished 41-55 on the week, dragging the season mark down to 119-127, and the misses were spread across some of the more eye-catching games on the schedule. A few calls landed cleanly, though, including a unanimous prediction of Alabama over Kentucky, which at least gave the panel one bright spot amid a rougher weekend.
The next round brings a familiar kind of SEC clutter, with five conference-on-conference matchups giving the picks plenty of room to fray again. Most of the early consensus lines up in the usual way, but Florida-Auburn stands out as the one game that split the room right down the middle. For Vanderbilt readers, it is the sort of forecast board that can shift quickly once the league starts turning on one game, one upset, or one late call. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Faces An Early Defensive Test Against NC States Dangerous QB
Clark Lea is getting Vanderbilts defense ready for a different kind of challenge this week, one that starts with NC State quarterback CJ Bailey. The Wolfpack signal-caller brings the kind of arm strength and play-extending ability that can stress a defense in a hurry, especially when a quarterback can turn a broken play into a gain and still threaten deep downfield.
Baileys early-season start has been uneven, but his track record from last year still makes him one of the more dangerous players the Commodores will see. For Vanderbilt, the key is not just accounting for his legs, but staying disciplined long enough to keep the pocket from turning into a scramble drill, and that is exactly the sort of test Leas group has to pass early in the year. [Read more 🡒]