Vanderbilt Commodores--Quick Look from ESPN
The following article was published on ESPN by Chris Low.
Today, we take a look at what should be the strongest and weakest positions for Vanderbilt entering the 2010 season:
Strongest position: Running back
Key returnees: Warren Norman, Zac Stacy
Key departures: Jared Hawkins
The skinny: Norman returns after earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors last season. He led the Commodores with 783 rushing yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and tied an SEC record with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns. Stacy also had a solid debut season in the SEC despite battling an ankle injury for much of the year. Stacy wound up with 478 rushing yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Both players should be even better their second time around in the league and with a spring practice under their belts.
Plus, the Commodores will add redshirt freshman Wesley Tate to the mix in 2010. He’s the younger brother of former Notre Dame star Golden Tate, and Vanderbilt would like to get him the ball in a number of different ways. It’s a running back stable that would have been even deeper had it not been for the tragic death of top signee Rajaan Bennett in February.
Weakest position: Wide receiver
Key returnees: John Cole, Udom Umoh
Key departures: Alex Washington
The skinny: It’s not that the Commodores lost a bunch of talented guys at the receiver position. Rather, they remain extremely unproven, and it’s difficult to point to somebody on the roster right now and say, "This is the guy who’s going to scare SEC defenses down the field." Cole was the Commodores’ leading receiver a year ago with 36 catches for 382 yards. He’s tough, dependable and isn’t afraid to go get the ball. He simply doesn’t have a lot of help. Vanderbilt only had two touchdown receptions last season from its wide receivers.
The staff is optimistic that Brady Brown will take a big step next season after playing early as a true freshman a year ago and then injuring his leg. The Commodores signed a pair of 6-4 freshmen – Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews – and they probably won't have to wait long to get on the field. It helps that the Commodores have two good tight ends in Austin Monahan and Brandon Barden, but they need to find more playmakers on the outside.
SEC Sports Report is sponsored by Jay Holgate's Talking SEC Football.
More from Vanderbilt Commodores
Below are the number of verbal commits through July 31, 2011 for the 2012 signing class:
1) South Carolina Gamecocks 18
2) Florida Gators 15
3) Kentucky Wildcats 13
4) Georgia Bulldogs 12
5) Vanderbilt Commodores 12
6) Tennessee Volunteers 12
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ESPN
GEORGIA
Isaiah Crowell, RB: He arrives in Athens with a ton of hype. Georgia has yet to find its feature back and Crowell has all the talent to be that player. Some think he could start by the midpoint of the season. He was the nation’s top running back and in 2010 he rushed for 1,721 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Malcolm Mitchell, WR: Mitchell played both sides of the ball in high school, but Georgia’s staff really likes what he could do at receiver. He’s a tremendous athlete and will get a chance to earn playing time for the fall, especially with some unproven receivers already on Georgia’s roster.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Jadeveon Clowney, DE: Clowney will enter preseason camp with a mound of expectations. He was the country’s top high school player last year, and even though there is a lot of talent on South Carolina’s defensive line, it will be hard to keep him off the field with his freakish ability. He recorded 162 tackles, including 29 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, six recovered fumbles and scored five touchdowns last fall.
With the win, Vanderbilt advances to face Florida at 1 p.m. Friday on ESPN. SECSPORTS.COM- Vanderbilt will need to beat the Gators twice in order to advance to the CWS championship series.
Rain stopped game Monday night, had to resume Tuesday at 11 am
Vandy plays North Carolina on Thursday---Winner plays Florida
Florida vs Vandy 7 pm Monday Nite ESPN
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