Five Vanderbilt football breakout candidates for 2023

Vanderbilt football opened preseason practice with more intrigue than usual.

The Commodores finally look like a program on the rise after improving from 2-10 to 5-7 in Clark Lea's second season. The next step is to finish with six wins and qualify for a bowl game.

Although Vanderbilt has a lot of exciting talent coming back, it will need to get breakout seasons from both expected and unexpected players to reach that goal. Lea has steadily raised the talent level of the roster, but many of those players are still young and in need of development. With key contributors like Anfernee Orji, Ray Davis, Ben Bresnahan and Gavin Schoenwald departed, there will be plenty of room for new contributors.

With the first few preseason practices done, here are five breakout candidates for 2023:

DL Yilanan Ouattara

Ouattara is 6-foot-7, 305 pounds. He was good enough as a freshman to play in 10 games but his potential as a sophomore is even bigger. He projects at nose tackle and could be a big difference-maker there.

Although he's missed some time during the preseason with a minor injury, he should be good to go for the start of the season and may prove to be the disruptor Vanderbilt needs on defense.

OL Leyton Nelson

Nelson is a redshirt freshman who played just two snaps a year ago. Nelson has impressed during preseason practice and has gotten the reps to indicated that he could play a much bigger role. At 6-foot-6 and 308-pounds, he has the necessary size for an SEC tackle.

In 2022, Gunnar Hansen stepped in as a starter on the offensive line as a redshirt freshman. In 2023, Nelson could be next.

RB Chase Gillespie

Gillespie played in the first four games of 2022 as a true freshman, then did not play again to preserve his redshirt. With Ray Davis off to Kentucky, Gillespie has the chance to take a step forward in his second season.

In 2022, Gillespie averaged 4.8 yards per rush and ripped off one 37-yard run against Hawaii.

TE Justin Ball

Ball has played sparingly in his first four seasons but looks primed to break out now with depth at the tight end position thin. He's big and has the ability to make a difference as both a receiver and blocker if he can avoid the injuries that plagued him earlier in his career.

"He's awesome as a coach on the field," tight ends coach Justin Lustig said Friday. "He's intelligent, he's tough, he's big. He's had a lot of experience. And so, we can really work on like the small parts of his game right now. ... He's had a great camp so far, and we've just got to keep him healthy."

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CB Trudell Berry

Berry was a hyped recruit entering 2022, but after a suspension to start the season, Berry never really got off the ground. He appeared in four games, playing mostly special teams, and made one tackle.

But with the Commodores desperately needing help at corner, Berry could have an opportunity to utilize his speed and athleticism in 2023.

"He's learning how to play football," defensive coordinator Nick Howell said. "He's, I would say all these kids are just in the process of becoming better and becoming the best version of themselves and it's exciting when he's able to make some plays."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football's five breakout candidates in 2023