Vanderbilt got two shots at Kenny Minchey, and both times the door stayed closed.
The Commodores chased the Nashville native once when he was coming out of high school, then circled back after his two-year run at Notre Dame ended and he entered the transfer portal. But the timing never lined up, and Minchey ended up at Kentucky instead.
Now he’s set to face Vanderbilt for the first time Saturday, with No. 12 Kentucky riding a five-game win streak and Minchey in position to lead the Wildcats to a sixth straight victory in his first season as a college starter.
Clark Lea said Thursday that Vanderbilt’s staff did its homework on Minchey when he hit the portal.
“The guys at Notre Dame called when he was gonna go in the portal,” Lea said Thursday, “They had a lot of great things to say about him. Obviously he didn’t have the game experience, but I think even in high school here-he played for [Justin Geisinger] at [Pope John Paul II Preparatory School]-I always had a ton of respect for him, always enjoyed him when he was around.”
That respect started long before this season. Minchey was already one of Nashville’s most prominent quarterback prospects in high school, and Vanderbilt had been on him for a while. He and Jared Curtis also know each other from scrimmaging against one another as prep quarterbacks, and Curtis said Tuesday that he respects Minchey because of those earlier meetings.
By the time Minchey entered the portal, though, Vanderbilt had already packed its quarterback room. The Commodores opened the offseason and the regular season with an open competition, but Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz already had deals in place, and the program was also making a big push for Curtis after his flip from Georgia. Once Curtis committed, a Minchey move to Vanderbilt no longer made much sense, especially with Minchey good enough to start somewhere else.
Lea didn’t sound bothered by how it played out. If anything, he framed it as a fit issue more than a miss.
Vanderbilt has already lived through Curtis’ early ups and downs, with the freshman having thrown seven interceptions and six touchdowns, but Lea said the program is adjusting around him and remains confident in what Curtis can become. Lea has likened Curtis’ arm talent to Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler, and he sounded convinced that the freshman has already shown enough to justify the bet. Vanderbilt may have gotten a more immediate answer from Minchey if it had been building for 2026, but the staff has said its roster plan is aimed at 2027 and 2028, with Curtis expected to grow into that long-term role.
That’s why Vanderbilt doesn’t seem to be dwelling on the one that got away.
“He’s a guy that’s squared away, loves football and is process driven,” Lea said. “I’m very happy to see him having success.
I think for a local kid to find his way and to get into a system that fits him I think is awesome. Our job is to make it hard on him Saturday, but I’m happy for him and have a ton of respect for him.”
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Heads To Kentucky With Injury Questions It Cant Ignore
Vanderbilt heads into its fifth SEC game with the injury report already shaping the conversation around Saturdays trip to No. 12 Kentucky. The Commodores have been dealing with a growing list of absences, including season-ending injuries to Gunner Givens and Aaron Bryant, and the availability chart around the roster has become a weekly subplot as the conference grind wears on.
Brian Allen Jr. is also on the injured list, leaving another hole for a team that can ill afford to be thin in a matchup like this. Beyond the confirmed losses, Vanderbilt is still sorting through several players whose status is less certain, with a few names hovering in the questionable, probable and doubtful range as kickoff gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Why Clark Lea Finally Reimagined Davin Chandlers Role
Davin Chandlers path has taken a meaningful turn in Vanderbilts secondary, where Clark Lea has formally shifted him from safety to cornerback and started using him as a nickel corner. It is the kind of move that says as much about a players adaptability as it does about a coachs willingness to rethink a roster, and Chandlers recent work has given the staff reason to keep leaning into it.
Lea has pointed to Chandlers strong play and the way he has handled the transition, with the junior carving out a useful role in recent games and adding needed depth behind a starter at cornerback. For Vanderbilt, the bigger question now is how far that versatility can carry him as the Commodores keep sorting out their defensive backfield. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Curtis Is Carrying A Big Vanderbilt Question Into This Weekend
Jared Curtis is only a freshman, but Vanderbilt is already watching him grow into more than just a highly touted quarterback prospect. The five-star has started to settle into a leadership role in the huddle even with limited college experience, and head coach Clark Lea has seen veteran players respond to the way Curtis carries himself around the program. For a team still searching for steadier results overall, that kind of progress matters as much as anything happening on Saturdays.
What makes the next stretch interesting is how much the Commodores are willing to shape around him. Curtis brings a different skill set, and Vanderbilts staff has been adjusting the offense with that in mind as the post-Diego Pavia era takes hold. If Curtis keeps building trust while the system continues to evolve, the Commodores may have a young quarterback whose development can start to change the feel of the season. [Read more 🡒]