Aug. 21, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nathan Marcus isn’t ready for his AARP card just yet.
But in Vanderbilt’s tight ends meeting room, Marcus has the distinct feel of an elder statesman.
Marcus, a redshirt senior, embodies a calming presence among the Commodores’ group of pass-catching blockers. He’s the most veteran member of the tight ends and often acts as an extra coach.
“It’s just me having been in Coach [Andy] Ludwig’s system and knowing a lot of the details,” Marcus said. “If there’s a coaching point Coach Ludwig has brought up in the past, I can bring that knowledge to the group for the younger guys who haven’t had those reps yet.”
Old Man Marcus is a veteran cog at a position that returns plenty of experience from 2016. Junior Sam Dobbs and redshirt sophomore Jared Pinkney teamed with Marcus to amass 39 catches for 420 yards and four touchdowns last season. Pinkney was especially productive as a redshirt freshman, hauling in 22 catches for 274 yards and a pair of scores.
Ludwig, who oversees tight ends along with his duties as offensive coordinator, likes what Vanderbilt brings to the table at the position in 2017.
“I have a lot of confidence in that group,” Ludwig said. “We’re not very deep, but we’ve got what I consider three legitimate players.”
Redshirt freshmen in Turner Cockrell and Cody Markel will bolster that depth this season, but Dobbs, Marcus and Pinkney are Vanderbilt’s most experienced tight ends. That threesome blends different skillsets, as well; Dobbs is more of a pass-catching end while Marcus and Pinkney can anchor along the line of scrimmage in blocking situations.
Last week, Ludwig singled out Pinkney as a player who has made significant strides during fall camp. But as the redshirt sophomore tells it, Vanderbilt’s tight ends have used the offseason to hone their versatility as a group.
“It’s our ability to all be combo tight ends,” Pinkney said. “Instead of one package for our blocking tight end, one package for our best combo and one for our best receiver, now we can all do the blocking, the catching, the routes. It’s awesome to get that diversity out of us.”
Adds Marcus: “We all have our own unique skillsets, but we all can do what’s asked of us. We say in our team group, no task is too big or two small for us. We can handle whatever Coach Ludwig throws our way.”
That group could help Vanderbilt’s offense take another big step in the SEC. Including Marcus, who started 12 games at tight end in 2016, the Dores bring back nine starters on offense and seven on defense, as well as two specialists. And all three primary tight ends from last fall expect to reprise their roles in Ludwig’s offense going forward.
That experience – and potential – makes Pinkney excited for 2017.
“We’re all back, and we’re all getting better,” Pinkney said. “We’ve got a guy [Ralph Webb] who can be number two all-time in SEC rushing behind Herschel Walker. We’ve got KB [Khari Blasingame] who had 10 touchdowns last year. We’ve got Trent [Sherfield], who has the school record for most receiving yards in a single game. We’ve got C.J. [Duncan], Caleb [Scott] — I could just go on and on.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics. Check out his story archive and follow him on Twitter here.