For Vanderbilt football, signing day showed importance of getting quarterback position right
Drew Dickey, the only remaining scholarship quarterback after Vanderbilt football's 2023 season, had a message for Clark Lea.
"Coach, you bring in whoever you want," Dickey said, according to Lea. "I'm going to beat him out."
"Whoever you want" turned out in this case to be two freshmen signees, Jeremy St-Hilaire and Whit Muschamp, along with Utah transfer Nate Johnson. This comes on the heels of three quarterbacks leaving the program in AJ Swann, Ken Seals and Walter Taylor.
For spring practice, neither of the freshmen will be on campus yet. Dickey will be, along with at least one transfer. Lea could not comment on transfers by name because they have not yet officially accepted their enrollment.
More than anything else, getting the quarterback position right will be vital for Lea in 2024. In his first three seasons, the Commodores could never truly settle on a quarterback, a factor that undoubtedly led to the departures of Seals, Swann, Taylor and Mike Wright, who transferred to Mississippi State after the 2022 season. Johnson comes in as the most likely starter, but without ever having an opportunity to be the full-time starter for the Utes, spring ball will go a long way in showing how much he can do.
Johnson is a true dual threat, something Lea said he wanted incorporated into the system in his search for a new offensive coordinator after firing Joey Lynch. The new coordinator, Tim Beck, utilized a running quarterback at New Mexico State.
Of the two incoming freshmen, St-Hilaire, of Chattanooga's McCallie School, fits the dual threat mold better. Muschamp, the son of Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, and Dickey are more pure dropback passers.
Though both Muschamp and St-Hilaire were recruited under the previous offensive staff, there was very little drama on early signing day as both players signed early on. Lea expressed no concern about whether the freshmen quarterbacks would fit the system.
"What Tim has done in his career is certainly build around aspects of that position," Lea said Wednesday as the early signing period started. "I don't know that it's any one skill set. ... So both these guys, first of all, Jay and Whit, both have athleticism and they're both good in terms of moving the pocket and creating with their legs. ... They're both great competitors. And I can I believe that they're both going to find success here."
The TSSAA Division II-AAA state championship, in which Muschamp and St-Hilaire faced off, was an example of the skillset both players could bring to the program. St-Hilaire especially shined in that game, throwing for 309 yards and four touchdowns.
Johnson threw for 515 yards and rushed for 286 as a part-time starter for Utah in 2023. He rated as a four-star transfer by 247Sports.
SIGNING CLASS Vanderbilt football recruiting class 2024: Meet Commodores' early signees
Lea spoke confidently in his additions, as any coach would on signing day. But the quarterback room is still unproven, though talented. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Commodores no longer have time to spend on long-term developmental projects. For Lea to succeed at Vanderbilt, one of these players will need to be the answer at quarterback − not just for the future, but for 2024.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football signing day showed importance of QB for Clark Lea
