Vanderbilt 2014 Spring Football Wrap Up

Strengths & question marks coming out of spring

Two big question marks will dog the ‘Dores this summer.

The biggest will be how the team reacts to new head coach Derek Mason. Mason has a tough act to follow after James Franklin guided Vandy to consecutive nine-win seasons. He’s got a stellar reputation as a positional coach and coordinator, but this will be his first head coaching job.

Can Mason successfully institute the 3-4 in Nashville and send Vanderbilt to a fourth-straight bowl game? Odds point to yes, especially with a out-of-conference schedule that has more cupcakes than a hipster five-year-old’s birthday party.

The second question is: who steps up on offense? All-American wideout Jordan Matthews is gone. So is extremely underrated receiver Jonathan Krause and quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels.

There will be a lot of eyes on the QB race between Patton Robinette, who started in relief of an injured Carta-Samuels as a redshirt freshman last year, and second-year passer Johnny McCrary. That competition will get even tougher if former LSU transfer Stephen Rivers (brother of San Diego’s Philip) follows through on his intent to transfer to Vandy. He’d be eligible to play right away as a graduate student in Nashville.

Strengths? Vandy’s got a lot of young, talented depth on both sides of the trenches. The ‘Dores can get big performances at the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense, and that will open up plenty of opportunities for big wins this fall.

Name a few breakout players to keep an eye on in 2014

Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Cunningham was a huge pickup back in 2013, and he showed off soft hands and good speed in limited snaps last fall. He’ll step into the role of #1 wideout now that Matthews and Krause are gone, and he has the talent to replace much of their production on offense.

Junior Darreon Herring stood out amongst an injured linebacking corps in ’13, and he’s primed to play a huge role on this team’s defense in 2014. Herring has a nose for the ball and great closing speed. His skills, combined with the influence of a coaching staff that turned Stanford into a defensive juggernaut, should make him an All-SEC selection when all is said and done.

The same goes for Caleb Azubike, who will shift from defensive end to outside linebacker in Vandy’s new 3-4 scheme.

Grade each position group

Quarterback: C+  Two young bucks fighting for the starting job. Johnny McCrary may have taken the lead, but nothing is set in stone. Both players need to be better when it comes to identifying and avoiding pressure.

RB: B  Ralph Webb had a great spring and will join Brian Kimbrow and Jerron Seymour in an underrated, but effective, platoon.

WR: C  Jordan Cunningham should be WR1. Behind him, guys like CJ Duncan and Gerald Perry will scrap for playing time. Kris Kentera should emerge as a big red zone target after transitioning from H-Back to wideout.

TE: B+  Steven Scheu is waiting for a breakout season. He has the chops to make an impact under Mason’s guidance, and should see plenty of passes with a pair of inexperienced quarterbacks at the helm.

OL: B  Replacing Wesley Johnson will be tough, but every other starter returns. 2014 could be a big year for Andrew Jelks, who is slated to move to left tackle this fall.

DL: A  Adam Butler is developing into a beast. Mason and DC David Kotoluski are shaping a dynamic line of big, athletic monsters who should make a difference in the SEC.

LB: B  Tough to get a read on these guys so early in the season while Mason institutes the 3-4. Azubike and Kyle Woestmann are transitioning from the DL, but both are strong, athletic players who should be able to adjust well. As noted, Herring should have a big, big year for the Commodores.

DB: B  Vandy is replacing all four starters in the secondary. Fortunately, the ‘Dores are in good hands with young standouts like Darrius Sims, Paris Head, and Andrew Williamson waiting in the wings.

Special Teams: D  Carey Spear graduated, and Tommy Openshaw hasn’t done anything to suggest that he’ll be able to replace the All-SEC kicker’s steady leg (or kamikaze-style tackles on kick returns). Vandy’s punting situation, sloppy in 2013, remained a mess this spring.

What can we expect from Vanderbilt in 2014?

Vanderbilt left room to improve, but another nine-win season will be difficult. They’ll have to replace their most reliable offensive threats now that Matthews and Krause are gone, and they’ll be breaking in a new quarterback when they do so.

While the defense should be able to hold steady, there are valid concerns about how this offense will look when August rolls around.

The ‘Dores catch some breaks with Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss (at LP Field), and South Carolina coming to town. They’ll roll through their non-conference schedule (Temple, Old Dominion, UMass, Charleston Southern) and should be able to win at Kentucky and at Mississippi State (not to discount the Wildcats or Bulldogs, who could both be bowl eligible in ’14).

Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Florida look like coin-flip games, though all should improve from 2013. Missouri, Georgia, and South Carolina will be tougher outs – but Vandy doesn’t have an unwinnable game this fall. If they can avoid bad losses and get their offense operating at 2013 levels, eight regular season wins is absolutely in their wheelhouse.

But let’s give me something to be happy about if I’m wrong and suggest this team goes 7-5 in their first season without James Franklin since 2010.

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Christian D’Andrea of Anchor of Gold provided the information for our Vanderbilt Football 2013 Spring Wrap Up. For more Vandy football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Christian on Twitter @TrainIsland  and Anchor of Gold @anchorofgold.

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