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.
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.
