Five most intriguing position battles for Vanderbilt football ahead of preseason practice
Entering preseason practice, Vanderbilt football has more intrigue than in the prior two years of Clark Lea's tenure.
Lea, working under a new extension, faces higher expectations this season after finishing 5-7 a year ago. He's been adamant that his team's goal is to make a bowl this year, but he still recognizes that the margins there will be thin.
While the preseason competition that typically gets the most attention is on offense, Vanderbilt returns a starting quarterback, all three receivers and multiple offensive linemen. Instead, it's the defense where things are more unsettled. Preseason practice, which begins July 26, will go a long way in determining who wins the jobs.
Here are five position battles to watch in the preseason that could define Vanderbilt's 2023:
Running back
The contenders: Sedrick Alexander, Chase Gillespie, Patrick Smith
After Ray Davis transferred to Kentucky, it's hard to name a clear favorite for his replacement. Patrick Smith has been around the longest, but he got suspended to start the 2022 season and then averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.
Chase Gillespie filled in during the games Smith was suspended but didn't make an appearance for the rest of the season to preserve his redshirt. He was solid when he played, but he didn't appear in an SEC game.
True freshman Sedrick Alexander impressed in the spring game. If he produces in the preseason like he did in the spring, he could win the starting job.
Star
The contenders: Miles Capers, Aeneas DiCosmo, Darren Agu, BJ Diakite
The star position, Lea's name for the hybrid defensive end/linebacker, is one of the most intriguing battles of the fall. Capers was on track to start in 2022 but suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. He's still played in only four games in his college career, and he'll have to return to form quickly following the injury.
DiCosmo is the most experienced of the star group. A grad transfer from Stanford, DiCosmo has four years of college experience, but he's short for the position at 6-foot-3. He likely has the highest floor of the group but not the highest ceiling.
Diakite is an intriguing option after playing in nine games as a true freshman. He has a high ceiling, but at just 222 pounds, he likely needs to gain more weight to be effective against SEC tackles.
Cornerback
The contenders: BJ Anderson, Tyson Russell, Trudell Berry, Martel Hight
The transfer of Jadais Richard to Miami was a big blow here.
Russell seems like the best bet among the contenders to earn a starting job. He earned rave reviews from his fellow players at SEC Media Days after starting six games last season.
Anderson is a sixth-year senior who has never really produced. He does have plenty of experience, but this late in his career, he will have to prove he is worthy of a starting job.
Berry and Hight are two high-upside young players. Berry redshirted in 2022, making just one tackle in his four games. But he was a well-regarded recruit who has the type of speed Vanderbilt has been missing in the secondary.
Lea has spoken highly of Hight, a four-star recruit who is the Commodores' top-rated freshman. He figures to be an X-factor in the secondary.
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Linebacker
The contenders: Kane Patterson, Ethan Barr, Prince Kollie, Bryce Cowan, Langston Patterson
Vanderbilt lost Anfernee Orji to the NFL, but it has a good problem to have in that there are a ton of talented options to replace him, and this figures still to be one of the Commodores' deepest positions.
Kane Patterson and Barr rotated at Mike linebacker a year ago, but Patterson has now moved to the Will spot in hopes that he and Barr can be on the field together more often. As Vanderbilt's most experienced linebackers, they figure to begin the season as starters, but the other three will be waiting in the wings.
Kollie was a highly regarded recruit in his first season after transferring from Notre Dame. He was a 4-star prospect out of high school. The younger Patterson is a steady player who was good enough to play all 12 games as a freshman, albeit mostly on special teams. Cowan didn't play a year ago but has the size and athleticism to pop in his second year.
Kicker
The contenders: Will Faris, Jacob Borcila, Brock Taylor
The kicker competition is perhaps the most wide open of all of Vanderbilt's position battles. In his third year with the Commodores, Faris has appeared in only one game. In practice, he's shown a big leg but has struggled with accuracy.
A transfer from Kansas, Borcila has three years of experience as a starting kicker. His field goal numbers haven't been great, but he is 85-for-86 on extra points.
Taylor is a freshman who is highly regarded, but it's hard to evaluate his shot at winning the job without having seen him in practice.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football position battles to watch in preseason
