Feb. 24, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
Nashville, Tenn. – Vanderbilt kicks off 2017 spring drills on Monday at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Complex, the first of 15 offseason practices for the Commodores.
Fourth-year head coach Derek Mason welcomes 42 letterwinners from a 2016 Vanderbilt roster that finished 6-7 with wins over Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee and a berth in the Camping World Independence Bowl. The Commodores return 18 official starters (nine offense, seven defense, two specialists), but they bring back 24 players who started multiple games in 2016.
The featured event will be a “Spring Showcase” scrimmage on Saturday, March 25 at 10 a.m. in Vanderbilt Stadium. The Showcase will be free to Commodore fans and feature a post-scrimmage autograph session with Vanderbilt players.
Here are five spring storylines to watch for the Commodores:
1. The battle at linebacker
Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt’s consensus All-American inside linebacker, declared for the NFL draft after leading the SEC with 125 total tackles and four fumble recoveries last fall. Cunningham might be the most decorated player in Commodore history, and his departure leaves a major hole to fill on Mason’s defense. Add in the exits of fellow ‘backers Landon Stokes and Ja’karri Thomas, and that might be the most exciting competition of spring ball.
Expect senior Oren Burks to lead returnees of this unit, with the likes of redshirt junior Charles Wright and junior Jordan Griffin also emerging. Redshirt sophomores Jay Hockaday and Caleb Peart and the Smith brothers (senior Emmanuel and junior Josh) are other names to keep an eye on. True freshman Dimitri Moore will also join the fray as an early enrollee.
2. Kyle Shurmur’s development
Shurmur started all 13 games as a true sophomore in 2016, completing 54.4 percent of his throws for 2,409 yards, second-most ever for a Vanderbilt sophomore. But Shumur was particularly strong at the end of the regular season, completing 58.5 percent of his passes (38-of-65) for 689 yards and 10.6 yards, four touchdowns and one pick in huge wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee. With 18 career starts, Shurmur will enter 2017 as one of the most experienced signal-callers in the SEC.
Now the rising junior enters spring leading an offense that brings back eight other starters. That group includes Vanderbilt’s all-time leading rusher, running back Ralph Webb, three starters on the offensive line and the bulk of Shurmur’s receiving targets. But Shurmur, who threw 10 interceptions against nine scores in 2016, could use that veteran experience to improve his accuracy and decision-making this spring.
3. Playmakers at wide receiver
Vanderbilt won’t lack depth at wide receiver this spring, when its top nine pass-catchers return from 2016. But that group never found a go-to playmaker to compliment Shurmur and Webb on offense last season. C.J. Duncan led the ‘Dores with 44 catches for 494 yards, and three other players amassed at least 319 yards through the air.
Vanderbilt could use a breakout spring from one or two members of its receiving corps. Can seniors Duncan and Trent Sherfield step up? Could sophomore Kalija Lipscomb build off a promising freshman campaign? Will Jared Pinkney or Sam Dobbs emerge as more dangerous targets at tight end? Spring should be an important battleground for Commodore pass-catchers.
4. Finding a spark on the defensive line
Vanderbilt had trouble getting to the quarterback in 2016. The Commodores finished the season with 15 total sacks, fewest in the SEC. This spring the roster loses departing senior Adam Butler, who led the team with four sacks and finished second with 7.5 tackles for loss. Now it’s up to the ‘Dores’ returnees to become more aggressive up front.
Senior nose tackle Nifae Lealao and redshirt senior end Jonathan Wynn should open spring as the leaders along the line. That duo combined for 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss a year ago. Redshirt senior nose tackle Jay Woods and junior end Dare Odeyingdo will also be key faces up front. Plus, Mason hopes redshirt freshmen Drew Birchmeier, Josiah Sa’o and Cameron Tidd might help his team put more pressure on quarterbacks in 2017.
5. Competition at kick returner
Departing senior Darrius Sims served as Vanderbilt’s primary option at kick returner in 2016, when he set a new program record in career kick return yards (2,496). Sims returned 27 total kickoffs last season and averaged 27 yards per return, second-best in the SEC. Duncan enters spring practice as Vanderbilt’s returning leader on kickoff returns (five for 48 yards), but the competition is wide-open entering spring.