July 18, 2017
Commodore standouts Oren Burks and Tommy Openshaw have been named to watch lists for prestigious college football awards.
Burks, a senior from Fairfax Station, Va., was named as a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top linebacker. Openshaw, a first-year graduate student from Jacksonville, Fla., is an early candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy, given to a college player who combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Burks, named a preseason third team All-SEC linebacker following SEC Media Days last week, will try to follow the path of former Commodore standout Zach Cunningham, who became Vanderbilt’s first Butkus Award finalist after a sensational campaign in 2016.
Burks is one of the SEC’s most versatile defenders, having started at three defensive positions for the Commodores: safety, outside linebacker and the unit’s featured Star hybrid role. This season, he is likely to fill Cunningham’s vacancy at inside linebacker.
In 2016, Burks finished with 40 unassisted tackles, 59 total stops, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 quarterback sacks and an interception. Burks enters his final season as the Commodores active leader with 155 total tackles, 91 solo tackles and four interceptions.
Openshaw, a three-year starting placekicker, is racking up individual accolades entering his final season. Earlier this summer, he was named as a candidate for the Allstate-American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) national Good Works Team that included Burks in 2016. Last week, he also became the first Commodore kicker cited as a Lou Groza Award candidate since Carey Spear in 2013. 
Since arriving at Vanderbilt, Openshaw has been active in community service projects, both in the Nashville community and abroad. He recently completed his fourth mission trip as a Commodore, venturing to Costa Rica to help with construction projects and mentor youngsters at a government-sponsored boys’ home. Closely to campus, he has frequently joined other Vanderbilt student-athletes on efforts to benefit young children and the homeless.
Openshaw is a stellar student-athlete. Off the field, he is three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and 2016 academic All-America nominee who completed undergraduate degrees in engineering science and economics last May. He is working toward a master’s degree in leadership and organizational performance from Vanderbilt.
Openshaw is on target to break several career records for Commodore kickers. He is 13 field goals shy of breaking the team career record held by John Markham (1997-2000). He also needs 80 total points to set the all-time scoring mark by a Commodore kicker.
In 2016, Openshaw showed both accuracy and leg strength as a kicker. He hit 15-of-19 field goals, including 11-of-12 inside 40 yards. He also converted two attempts from 52 yards.