Aug. 6, 2015
On campus in Nashville – Vanderbilt’s first preseason practice Thursday was just what Head Coach Derek Mason promised it would be – active and highly competitive. It was also plenty noisy.
Wearing a wireless microphone for much of the session, Mason enthusiastically encouraged the Commodore squad through a fast-paced session that lasted nearly two hours.
Ninety-five prospects, including 50 returning letterwinners and 22 position starters from a year ago, pushed the activity held in Vanderbilt’s on-campus Indoor Practice Facility due to threatening weather in the Nashville area.
Mason was pleased after the session, appreciative for the first opportunity to get his players on the practice field since mid-March.
“I liked a lot of what I saw from this team today,” Mason said. “Considering it was our first practice, I thought the energy was very high and the guys competed at a high tempo.
“It was a good first day. There’s some cleanup as you’d expect, but I also saw a lot of good things out there,” the head coach added.
Mason and his coaching staff focused much of the practice on individual fundamentals, position techniques and conditioning.
The squad, dressed in limited gear, also spent extended periods on scheme development and special teams, and staged several 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 segments.
Trio of quarterbacks share repetitions
With a starting job up for grabs in camp, Johnny McCrary (R-So.) and Wade Freebeck (So.) alternated between first-and second-team repetitions for much of the day. Both displayed superb throwing mechanics and solid knowledge of the new scheme introduced last spring by first-year coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig.
A third prospect at quarterback, Kyle Shurmur (Fr.) also took meaningful snaps during the practice.
Highlight plays from the practice
Providing some of the top individual plays were veteran defensive linemen Caleb Azubike and Adam Butler, linebacker Darreon Herring, cornerback Tre Bell, receivers Latevius Rayford, Caleb Scott, Darrius Sims and Trent Sherfield, and running backs Ralph Webb and Dallas Rivers.
Azubike was a frequent visitor in the offensive backfield during team drills and made at least two tackles resulting in losses. Butler deflected one pass and applied pressure on other attempts. Herring and Bell contributed a quarterback sack and interception, respectively, during the session.
Rayford, Scott and Sherfield showed good arms and explosiveness during passing drills, while Sims’ 45-yard reception deep down the right sideline served as the offense’s top play. Ludwig praised Webb’s explosiveness and Rivers’ combination of inside rushing and blocking after the practice.
Webb among Commodores donning new jersey numbers
Despite wearing jersey No. 26 while setting a Vanderbilt freshman record rushing for 907 yards last year, Webb will wear No. 7 going forward. He donned the single-digit for the first time Thursday.
Other Commodores wearing different jersey numbers from a year ago include defensive back LaDarius Wiley, No. 13; fullback Ladarius Banks, No. 42; tight end Sean Dowling, No. 89; and kicker Hayden Lekacz, No. 93.
Squad expected to practice daily through Monday
The Commodores are expected to practice each afternoon on campus through Monday prior to staging the first two-a-day workout Tuesday.