NASHVILLE-The biggest jolt from Vanderbilt’s week one depth chart came up front, where the Commodores chose veteran Orion Irving at tackle over Beau Johnson, the highly regarded FCS transfer who looked like the obvious answer when he arrived through the portal.
Clark Lea made clear Tuesday that the decision came down to what Irving did throughout camp, not just the reputation Johnson brought with him. Irving, who came to Vanderbilt as more of a depth addition in the 2025 portal cycle, has turned that into a real opportunity.
“Orion transferred in with a ton of snap experience a year ago," Lea said. "Served a role, we thought he was ascending last season, and really got opportunities to play for us at the position last year.
We thought he played well. He's had a really good offseason.
This may be one of the most improved players in our program, and maybe the strongest performer up front through training camp."
Irving logged 107 snaps last season, and Vanderbilt sees his role expanding even further down the road. Lea also pointed to Irving’s versatility as part of the plan, noting that it could help the Commodores find ways to work Johnson into the mix.
“[Irving’s] ability to move inside at times is going to be our ability also to get Beau (Johnson) involved,” Lea said. “Like we've always done, it'll be a mix of guys up front, but he's got positional flexibility, which will be a huge asset for us."
Vanderbilt’s opener comes against an Austin Peay team that has already gotten its feet wet. The Governors opened with a 35-17 win over Gardner Webb, so they’ll arrive with a game under their belt rather than a first-game feeling-out process.
Lea said that matters, and he expects Austin Peay to come in with plenty to prove.
“You just saw kind of through the middle of the game Austin Peay separate,” Lea said. “So, this is a team that is going to have a chip on their shoulder and you know we need to make sure that we have not just the same attitude, but have to have that Vanderbilt football attitude when we play. I got a ton of respect for them and the way they're coached.”
There’s also good news on the injury front. Vanderbilt is set to get back two rotational receivers, Cole Adams and Ja’Cory Thomas, both of whom were out at the end of fall camp.
“We have bumps and bruises, but it's been cool to see guys working back in,” Lea said. “We've got some bumps and bruises that I can update you guys on Thursday, but on the whole, we're in pretty good shape."
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