Excerpt from The Athletic's summary of SEC "winners and losers" from the transfer portal, where Vandy is graded a loser:
Gone are starting quarterbacks Ken Seals (TCU) and AJ Swann (LSU), the top three receivers in Will Sheppard (Colorado), London Humphreys (Georgia) and Jayden McGowan (Boston College), tight end Justin Ball (Mississippi State), sack leader Nate Clifton (USC), linebacker Ethan Barr (UCF) and safeties De’Rickey Wright (Texas A&M) and Savion Riley (Miami).
Lea has signed a few experienced college starters and a few young former blue-chippers to try and make up for the losses. Nate Johnson, a 2022 four-star recruit who made three starts at Utah, and former New Mexico State starter Diego Pavia (2,973 yards, 26 TDs in 2023) will compete for the vacant QB job. Jeremiah Dillon, a four-star 2022 recruit from Ole Miss, and Loic Fouonji, Texas Tech’s fourth-leading receiver this past season with 34 catches for 451 yards, will catch passes this coming season. The defense, meanwhile, will look to former Middle Tennessee lineman Zaylin Wood (30 starts) and former Eastern Washington cornerback Marlon Jones, an All-Big Sky first-team selection in 2023, for veteran leadership.
But it’s a steep hill to climb for Lea and the Commodores in the tough SEC.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores not only suffered through a 2-10 season in Clark Lea’s third year at the helm, but they also endured some big losses to the portal.Gone are starting quarterbacks Ken Seals (TCU) and AJ Swann (LSU), the top three receivers in Will Sheppard (Colorado), London Humphreys (Georgia) and Jayden McGowan (Boston College), tight end Justin Ball (Mississippi State), sack leader Nate Clifton (USC), linebacker Ethan Barr (UCF) and safeties De’Rickey Wright (Texas A&M) and Savion Riley (Miami).
Lea has signed a few experienced college starters and a few young former blue-chippers to try and make up for the losses. Nate Johnson, a 2022 four-star recruit who made three starts at Utah, and former New Mexico State starter Diego Pavia (2,973 yards, 26 TDs in 2023) will compete for the vacant QB job. Jeremiah Dillon, a four-star 2022 recruit from Ole Miss, and Loic Fouonji, Texas Tech’s fourth-leading receiver this past season with 34 catches for 451 yards, will catch passes this coming season. The defense, meanwhile, will look to former Middle Tennessee lineman Zaylin Wood (30 starts) and former Eastern Washington cornerback Marlon Jones, an All-Big Sky first-team selection in 2023, for veteran leadership.
But it’s a steep hill to climb for Lea and the Commodores in the tough SEC.
