Vanderbilt WBB has done the following in recruiting since July 24th:

- Made 4-star G Danielle Osho's Top 6 list (Ranked 34th in the 2025 class)

- Made 4-star G Ciara Byars' Top 7 list (Ranked 44th in the 2025 class)

- Aubrey Galvan commits (Ranked #1 PG in Illinois in the 2025 class)

- Made 4-star G Lauren Hassell's Top 12 list (Ranked 11th in the 2027 class)

- Monique Williams commits (2025 Forward played for Australia's U-20 team)

- Made 4-star G Daria Biriuk's Top 8 list (Ranked 78th in the 2026 class)

It feels like this has flown under the radar on a national level, but Shea Ralph and her staff deserve a ton of credit for their work on the recruiting trail. The program feels like its on an upward trajectory, and top-level recruits are taking notice.

This hurts

I'm grouping them together because you'll probably see some overlap with Stowers playing both or flex tight ends and that sort of thing.

Anyway...

WR: Skinner/Founji/Wiley or McVay?
WR: Sherrill/Hoskins/Brown
TE: Spence/Adebi
TE: Stowers/Kam Johnson

If you wanted to go 3 WR, then Founji or Hoskins probably benefits from that extra spot.

General thoughts, in no particular order:
- Sherrill is their best WR from what I've seen.
- When I was there, Skinner just didn't do as much as I would have liked to see. He'll help but I don't see some kind of huge statistical breakout coming.
- If you've read our practice reports than you know we love Cole Spence. I think he'd poised for good things and is probably the most talented bu of the two rooms put together.
- Stowers was less of a factor as camp went on but I can't imagine him not boing a significant part of the offense.
- Kam Johnson is the wild card. He caught a ton of balls and is poised for bigger things.
- I thought Founji played better the last half of camp than the first half and probably will help.
- Richie Hoskins just consistently makes solid plays. He's earned a spot on the two-deep and will catch some balls.
- I don't know what Adebi does but it feels like it takes five men to bring him down when he catches it.
- I could see Brown or McVay getting some chances as the season progresses.

First, it's out of my depth to give you detailed analysis on line play and so I'm not even going to pretend to go there. But I'll tell you what I've picks up on:

First, what might be the depth chart. I'll sort of list it from left to right, but that's not really how it's going to go since they'll flip sides with guards and tackles depending on what they're trying to do.

T: Mitchell/Sandoval
G: Castillo/Pitchford?/Starks?
C: Losoya/McConnell
G: Wesley/Hubbard
T: Hansen/Clark

Wild card: Grayson Morgan should have a role somewhere, presumably at guard, when he gets healthy. I have no idea one way or the other when that will be.

- I think Sandoval would be their third tackle and fit on either side and Clark has consistently been on the field with 2s also (and could play either side).
- The post-spring plan was to bring Hansen inside and so I don't know if getting him back to tackle is a sign of his improvement or disappointment elsewhere.
- Losoya seems to have earned center though McConnell has gotten a lot of snaps there. I think Losoya can also play guard.
- Hubbard not earning a starting spot is a surprise but I think that's where things stand.
- I think Pitchford fits in the mix somewhere at guard. He did start seven times and have her 500 snaps last season.

A stab at a depth chart:

DE: Sydnor/Zunk/DiCosmo/Agu
DT: Wood/Lee/Mann
DT: Outtara/Thomas/Seabrooks
Razor: Capers/Ruth/Diakate

Wild card is Christian James; he'll play somewhere if healthy but it feels as if he's sidelined as much as he's out there the last two years and so it's hard to know where he factors in.

- Sydnor and Wood feel as if they're played their way into starting spots. Feels like Sydnor has stood out more but I was there about 40% of the time for practice; I'm sure Billy and Joey can add thoughts.
- I"ll be intrigued with what they do inside. I think everyone wanted to see Outarra step up to his athletic potential and seize a job, and that seems to have happened. I know they like Thomas and Seabrooks really, really was active and out there a lot and so that's good. Mann's been out there a good big so even if he's a 3 I could still see him getting one- or two-dozen snaps a game.
- Would have liked to see Devin Lee step up and be a bigger factor but I just didn't see it. Maybe the injury hurt him in his development. I think you'd like to see a little more height there at that position to make throwing lanes difficult and they have some options with that with other guys.
- I put Ruth ahead of Diakate since the latter hasn't participated much of fall camp but at full health that may not be right.
- Agu just never advanced his game and I'm not sure he'll be much of a factor, which is surprising because physically he looks the part.
- It felt like DiCosmo was just a place holder until they found more of a difference-maker and it looks to me as if Sydnor and Zunk are just better players.

Long ago I worked for a TSSAA football official. Spent my Friday nights from White House to Bellevue and points in between and loved it. Used to follow it quite closely. But, my children are grown and I have lost touch with the local high school football scene.

Who are the best teams to keep an eye on this year? I still enjoy watching local sports at 10:00 on Friday night.

Im winning games left and right, two national championships, yet at the end of the season Ive only got a handful of recruits. Can you guys give me some tips on how to build a class? Recruiting is hard as hell. What about using the hard and soft sell pitches?

I work with a lady who has a close family member that works in the UT AD. She says NIL cannot continue the way it’s going right now. It’s the Wild West. The UT AD is actively preparing for college athletes becoming university employees. She expects this to happen in the next couple of years. She says NIL collectives will fall by the wayside as the universities will become responsible for paying the athletes as employees. She thinks this is why so many schools are spending extra on facilities right now, because the money may dry up soon as it will be spent on salaries instead.

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I’m assuming they feel good about Hoggard not getting suspended if they were willing to schedule this early in the season

Press release:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt men’s basketball will face 2024 NCAA Tournament participant Nevada in the opening round of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic at 7:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 21, ESPN Events announced Thursday afternoon.

The Commodores and Wolfpack will meet for the first time on the hardwood. Nevada is coming off a 26-8 season in 2024 and its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament under coach Steve Alford. Following the opening game with the Wolfpack, the Dores will face either Seton Hall or VCU.

The remainder of the Charleston Classic field consists of Drake, Florida Atlantic, Miami and Oklahoma State.

The 2024 Charleston Classic marks the 16th season of the tournament. The Dores are making their first appearance in the event and are 5-5 all-time against the other participants.

You heard it here first

GOOOOO VANDY!!!!!

Offense:

-Coming out of fall camp I'd be STUNNED if Diego Pavia wasn't the starter.

-The backup spot is where it's more interesting to me. I went into camp thinking that Pavia and Nate Johnson were closer but I honestly think Drew Dickey and Johnson is closer. I think it's a lot closer than we've been led to believe and that Dickey has a real shot at that role. He's made a real late push. Even if that ends up being the case, I still think they probably design some packages for Johnson.

-Looks like Jeremy St Hilare and Whit Muschamp are running scout as Kyron Drones.

-Sedrick Alexander had a good camp, although not much production or reps. Seems like Chase Gillespie didn't get a ton of reps either but was really good in the scrimmages. Think you'll see those two plus AJ Newberry and Moni Jones. Best case for them is Newberry works his way in as the two, in my opinion.

-Still not sure who the third receiver is. I was higher on the camp Quincy Skinner had than most were, although he didn't blow me away. I'm close to saying Junior Sherrill is the best they have at that position. If I had to guess Loic Fouonji will be their most productive transfer there. Think they'll need the freshmen, too. Joseph McVay may play the most, although Tristen Brown may be able to be used in more packages.

-Tight end will be their strongest offensive position if all goes right.

-They're close on the offensive line from what Clark Lea said a few days ago. I think I'd probably project Kevo Wesley and Delfin Xavier Castillo as factors there more than we thought at the beginning of camp. Misael Sandoval and Steven Hubbard I'd think will play but maybe not as much as we'd thought. Sandoval I think has upside like few guys they have.

-Off to the side today was Cole Spence, I don't believe it to be serious. Jeremiah Dillon spent most of camp off to the side, as did Grayson Morgan.

Defense:

-The defensive line will have a lot of bodies to rotate, still have not seen enough to believe they have a true difference maker. Maybe their closest is Khordae Sydnor or Zaylin Wood. I'm curious as to what happens with Darren Agu. He had a really quiet camp, could be better in games than he was in practice if he's healthy.

-Miles Capers I would think will start and they'll need a big year from.

-Linebackers look good, I think if I had to guess Bryan Longwell has beat out Prince Kollie for now. He'll probably start alongside Langston Patterson.

-Have my questions about the corners. Kolbey Taylor looks like their best one, Martel Hight started to come on late. Those would be the starters, I'd think. Tyson Russell had a better camp than I thought he would.

-Interested to see how good safeties can be. They've got a ton of talent there. Think CJ Taylor will be more aggressive this year, wonder about Dontae Carter. Didn't see a ton from Carter in camp. I do leave encouraged about their depth there, Jalen Gilbert had two interceptions today.

The depth chart, as I see it:

1. Sedrick Alexander
2. AJ Newberry
3. Chase Gillsepie
4. Moni Jones
5. Dominic Rezac
6. Johann Cardenas
7. Jake Balis

I think Alexander is the clear No. 1 heading into the season--maybe not based on work (it seems as if they've rested him a good bit) but just the feeling he's the best they've got.
Gillespie was one of the surprises of camp. I'd just about written him off with Moni Jones and freshmen coming in, but Gillespie out-played them all and I'll be surprised if he doesn't get some reps. He's one of the most improved players on the team.
I'm not sure what to make of Jones; we didn't see him much (if at all) in Saturday's scrimmage. Don't know if that was a load-maintenance issue or just getting passed by Gillespie, perhaps.
Rezac has gotten a ton of touches lately and looked decent. I have no idea what that means but I'm guessing he'll have a hard time crashing the top three. He's been a two-year walk-on and was a defensive back until this fall. He did play running back in high school at Westside High in Omaha and ran for 1,411 yards and 17 TDs.
I could be off on Cardenas, I just didn't see him get a ton of touches (or do much with them) when I watched.
Balis has gotten some decent scrimmage action. He's a Penn transfer.
On the whole, it's probably an average Vanderbilt group. You'd like to see Alexander step it up to the next level and at this point I'm not sure what the ceiling is. That's probably not so much on Alexander as it is the cast around him given what we saw in fall camp. Is there a scenario when the offense gels a bit more as lineups are set and guys get used to the system? Maybe, and again, that's the whole wild card with this team, can it play smart and efficiently and win by throwing things at opponents that they don't see? Do that, and maybe Alexander's got a chance to have a decent year, but it's hard to project based on August.

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If you or anyone you know is interested, please feel free to reach out. My Twitter handle is @alainammorris.

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Clark Lea

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Seems like a weird situation. Rated as one of our top two recruits. Discussion of him even playing edge. He is skinny, yes. Listed as WR. So is he not even strong enough for wr? How was his competition in hs?

It'll be my first one in while, which hasn't been intentional, it's just been a crazy four months from me. Anyway, I'm skipping practice to be a part of it.

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