NASHVILLE—Saturday was the closest thing to a full football game that Vanderbilt has played at this point. 

It still had some situational periods and only went for two and a half hours, but Lea let his team play for the most part. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was happy with the day as a whole and appeared to get out of the day what he wanted to. 

Lea says Vanderbilt’s staff will take the day off on Sunday, but will be back to work on Monday as it works to solidify its depth chart. He appears to believe that Vanderbilt’s Wednesday practice next week will include 

Quarterbacks

Saturday was a difficult day to evaluate in regard to Vanderbilt’s quarterback competition. It was difficult to decipher how each quarterback was used. It was also difficult to decipher each quarterback’s performance.

Berlowitz had one of his better days of camp on Saturday and moved the ball more consistently than any other Vanderbilt quarterback, but he didn’t punch it in. Berlowitz also reverted to some old habits and made the worst two, three or four throws of the day. 

Curtis took a step back from Vanderbilt’s first scrimmage and had some freshman moments—particularly related to throwing off platform and not stepping up in the pocket when he could've made a better throw by taking his time. Curtis’ operation was relatively smooth, though, and his offense did move. There were still flashes of excellence from Curtis and he was probably more accurate than Berlowitz was. 

Lea’s assertion was that Curtis was at his best for the longest of any Vanderbilt quarterback on Saturday night. He said that he believes Berlowitz has put together a good camp, though. 

Vanderbilt junior Whit Muschamp was at a funeral, which Lea said moved Elliott up to the third team. Elliott made the most of his opportunity and had the biggest chunk play of the day. Muschamp’s absence also provided a first look at Utah transfer Drew Cowart–who didn’t make all that strong of a positive impression on Saturday. 

Running backs

Evan Hampton may have put the finishing touches on his MVP of fall camp award on Saturday evening. 

Hampton had the biggest play of Saturday evening on the ground and in Vanderbilt’s scrimmage as a whole, which was consistent with the rest of his camp. There were real questions in regard to where Hampton stood relative to the rest of Vanderbilt’s running back room entering August, but he’s been exceptional and should be its fourth highest-usage back–although Izayah Lee could be used in short yardage. 

The case for Hampton to be considered Vanderbilt’s fastest running back could be made and he’s also helped by his pass catching abilities. 

Lee made some chunk plays Saturday and appears to be one of the most physical backs on the roster. He may not be ahead of sophomore back Gabe Fields on the depth chart, but his skillset is different enough from Fields’ and Hampton’s that he may be able to carve out more of a niche. This is Vanderbilt’s best freshman running back class since Sedrick Alexander’s in 2023. 

As for Alexander and Vanderbilt running back MK Young, neither saw significant reps on Saturday. Neither had much to prove anyway, though. 

Wide receivers

Vanderbilt’s likely top three receivers–Junior Sherrill, Ja’Cory Thomas and Cole Adams–didn’t take the field on Saturday, which made it difficult to take much from the room as a whole on the night. 

The standout of the last few days of camp, though, was Brycen Coleman—although Kayleb Barnett made the best play of the day on Saturday. Coleman seems to be putting it together at receiver and has returned to making some of the stunning receptions that he made in previous camps.

Vanderbilt freshman Owen Cabell—who it flipped from Alabama—also had one of his most impactful days of camp on Saturday. Cabell may not see the field often, but he appears to be developing. 

Tight ends

Vanderbilt tight end Cole Spence didn’t rep much, and it was a mixed day for Vanderbilt’s tight end room otherwise. 

Jayvontay Conner had another solid day and continued to demonstrate that he’ll be a reliable target for whatever Vanderbilt quarterback takes the field consistently. Conner isn’t quite a safety blanket because of what his volume will look like, but he’s reliable enough. 

Walt Taylor had some nice days throughout camp, but ended it poorly on Saturday by not taking advantage of the few targets he got. Taylor’s playing time will be largely determined by how much he improves as a blocker, but he’s got to stand out as a receiver if he’s going to play alongside Spence and Conner. He has to be better than he was on Saturday, though. 

Vanderbilt’s freshmen tight ends both had relatively quiet camps. 

Offensive line

Vanderbilt’s offensive line struggled with some little things that led to poor play at times a week ago, but it was more sound on Saturday.

Lea and Beck appear to have their five on the line at this stage, and appear to be relatively confident in what they’ve got. 

There were still some lapses on Saturday, but Curtis and Berlowitz—in particular—had some more time than they did a week ago. The run blocking was spotty at times, but also opened up big holes a few times.

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