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Quarterbacks
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Receiving Corps
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Football Season Preview, Part One: Offense 8/1/2005 Cutler, Davis, Stamper, Dunning Among Six Offensive Starters Returning for Commodores The return of several excellent veterans, including perhaps the best and most experienced quarterback in the SEC, has observers thinking 2005 could be a productive year for scoring points. Several of Jay Cutler’s main aerial targets are back, including wideouts Erik Davis and Marlon White and tight end Dustin Dunning. The line is anchored by three returning starters. Still, several uncertainties greet the Commodores when they arrive for preseason drills: The Commodores return one of the Southeastern Conference’s finest signal callers, his top replacement for the last two years, and an exciting candidate for the future. In total, the Commodores’ quarterback position appears in solid shape. The Commodores have reason for offensive optimism with the return of senior quarterback Jay Cutler (6-4, 228). A three-year starter, Cutler is a leader on and off the field. The All-SEC candidate enters the season as the league’s active leader in completions, total offense and combined touchdowns, and within range of virtually every Commodore career passing mark. Off the field, he becomes just the second three-time captain in 115 years of Vanderbilt history. Aside from the fact that Cutler’s experience should prove beneficial, the senior also is trending favorably entering the season. Cutler has improved his throwing efficiency with each season, peaking in 2004 when he became the second Commodore quarterback in 35 years to connect on more than 60 percent of his passes. While increasing his pass percentage, Cutler also lowered his mistakes, throwing just five interceptions. With Arkansas’ Matt Jones off to the NFL, Cutler also becomes one of the SEC’s most versatile performers. Capable of running the option or scrambling away from defenders, Cutler ranks first among SEC quarterbacks in every rushing category. Behind Cutler is Steven Bright (6-4, 236), though coaches are considering numerous options to get the junior on the field more frequently. Bright is one of the team’s best athletes, and would be in the mix for playing time at any number of positions. As a quarterback, Bright’s primary strength is running the option attack, though he did show potential as a passer in late-season action a year ago versus LSU and Florida. The progress last spring of a third Commodore quarterback, Chris Nickson (6-1, 210, R-Fr.), allowed the staff to experiment with Bright. Nickson, the 2003 Alabama Prep Player of the Year, is an exciting prospect, equally capable of running and throwing the football. In his initial year on campus, Nickson also showed excellent leadership skills. Freshman Mackenzi Adams (6-3, 190), a highly sought-after prospect from Oklahoma, should provide depth at quarterback as he learns the system. Vanderbilt lost three key performers from the 2004 backfield when tailback Norval McKenzie and fullback Matthew Tant graduated, and tailback Kwane Doster tragically died in an offseason shooting in Florida. The trio accounted for nearly 80 percent of the team’s backfield rushing yardage. While much production is missing, the youthful Commodore returnees offer fans plenty of potential offensive excitement. At the conclusion of spring practice, a pair of true sophomores with East Tennessee roots, Jeff Jennings (6-1, 228) and Cassen Jackson-Garrison (6-1, 215), gave the offensive coaches plenty of reasons for optimism. Jennings, a powerful inside-the-tackles runner, came on late in his freshman season, showing signs of a bright future. He concluded the season with five rushing touchdowns, tops among the running back corps. Due to an abundance of depth at tailback in 2004, the athletic Jackson-Garrison saw action as a freshman at fullback. While Jennings’ style is physical, Jackson-Garrison blends his strength with athleticism to give Vanderbilt its top breakaway threat. Each offers solid blocking abilities and can catch the football out of the backfield. Two Commodore upperclassmen, Ron Bullock (5-11, 232, Sr.) and Tim Miller (6-2, 195) provided added depth at the position, while Bullock also has the tools to contribute at fullback. A pair of incoming freshmen, Daniel Dufrene (5-11, 185) and Jared Hawkins (5-10, 185), could compete for playing time at tailback with an excellent preseason showing. In two-back offensive sets, the Commodores will be more untested at fullback, with Jackson-Garrison returning as the lone back with game experience. During spring drills, coaches experimented with several combinations at fullback. Two redshirt freshmen, Zach Logan (6-1, 234) and David Whittington (6-2, 244), have the physical tools, but will enter the year as question marks simply due to lack of experience. Bright, one of the team’s most athletic players, also showed possibilities at the position during a spring evaluation. Despite the graduation of two-year starter Brandon Smith, who signed a free agent deal with the New York Giants, the Commodores return a solid, veteran corps of receivers. Vanderbilt coaches will look to several unproven youngsters to provide needed depth as the season unfolds. Senior Erik Davis (6-2, 192) is an All-SEC candidate, entering the season as one of the league’s top returnees with 37 receptions in 2004. The explosive two-year starter provides a dependable target for Cutler who has the ability to find the end zone. Davis also has been a positive force in the locker room, and should provide excellent Marlon White (6-4, 205) could blossom as a junior, ready to become a full-time starter after posting solid seasons in his first two years on campus. White, who has excellent hands and a knack for finding seams in the secondary, concluded the 2004 season by posting single-game career highs against Tennessee. The third receiving role in multiple wideout sets will likely come from a pair of seniors — Jason Burns (6-0, 178) and Jason Caldwell (6-1, 200) — or several redshirt freshmen, including George Smith (6-3, 195), Bryant Anderson (6-3, 202) and Sean Walker (5-11, 180). The Commodores also welcome a talented group of freshmen, including Earl Bennett (5-11, 195), Larry Simmons (5-10, 160), Alex Washington (5-10, 180) and Justin Wheeler (6-2, 190). At tight end, senior Dustin Dunning (6-5, 250) is one of the SEC’s most underrated players. As a full-time starter for the first time in 2004, Dunning blended excellent receiving skills (14 catches) with an improved blocking ability, entrenching himself as a valuable contributor by season’s end. The Commodores face more of a question behind Dunning, simply due to lack of collegiate experience. Redshirt freshman Brad Allen (6-4, 238) has the physical tools to provide depth while two signees, Jake Bradford (6-6, 240) and Thomas Welch (6-6, 250), will be given a chance to earn roles. Watching the progress of this unit could be one of the top storylines of the preseason as the Commodores work to replace two of their top performers from 2004 in tackle Justin Geisinger and guard Brian Kovolisky. At the same time, several players stepped forward last spring to give coaches hope for a bright future. The quality play of Trey Holloway (6-3, 292, Sr.) last year in his first campaign at center is a chief reason for optimism this season. Holloway enters the year as a proven commodity at center and a leader on the interior front. Holloway will be pushed by sophomore Hamilton Holliday (6-4, 294). Brian Stamper (6-5, 295, Jr.) also returns at right tackle, back for a third straight year as the starter. Stamper showed continued improvement during Spring Practice and should be a consistent performer as the season gets started. As camp approaches, coaches have suggested that competition will be fierce for the remaining roles, with the team’s top linemen getting the opening-game nod. Several candidates are competing for the left tackle slot, including senior Ryan King (6-7, 314), sophomore Chris Williams (6-7, 307) and sophomore Elliot Hood (6-5, 295). King performed well in a pair of starts last year while Williams has shown the potential in practice to be a contributor. Competition should be intense at both guard positions where senior Nigel Seaman (6-5, 305) is back after closing the 2004 season as a starter. Sophomore Josh Eames (6-4, 300), Merritt Kirchoffer (6-5, 315) and former starter Mac Pyle (6-4, 317) also will contend for a starting job at guard, and coaches suggested sophomore center In each of the past three years, at least one true freshman has played a substantial role on the Commodore offensive front. Five signees — Ryan Custer (6-4, 295), Drew Gardner (6-5, 305), Eric Hensley (6-7, 290), Ryan Vance (6-3, 280) and Bradley Vierling (6-4, 285) — are expected in camp. |