Maplewood tackle James Stone lists Vanderbilt in his final four... but don't hold your breath

No, we haven't been in mourning over Vandy's two-win season. We've been grilling and getting in the holiday spirit and occasionally watching universities with low academic standards play each other in football.

Now until January, expect a post here and there, but nothing major — it's not like the Commodores are in a bowl or anything. We'll let you know if anything good or bad happens on the recruiting trail.

STONE WATCH

Speaking of which, massive offensive tackle James Stone of Maplewood has narrowed his choices down to Auburn, Alabama, Stanford and Vanderbilt. His high school coach Ralph Thompson tells an ESPN affiliate that it'll probably be either Auburn or Alabama, adding that Stone likes the academics at Stanford and Vandy, but Stanford's too far away, and nearby Vanderbilt is "not doing too well right now."

To ever get a big stud four-star lineman like Stone, who is 6-5, 300 pounds, Vandy will probably need to piece together back-to-back winning seasons. Meanwhile, the Dores are still wooing some good-looking three-star prospects with Stone's size if not his athleticism:

• Zac Tait (6-4, 315) from Knoxville
• Max Garcia (6-5, 280) from the Atlanta area
• Parker Mack (6-4, 305) from Arkansas
• Joe Burgess (6-6, 295) from Missouri

We've already got verbal commitments from two nice guard prospects, Grant Ramsay and Logan Stewart, and a project at tackle, Chase White. Bobby Johnson has never played a true freshman offensive lineman, though Stone would probably be the first if he signed with the Commodores.

Of the other guys, Garcia's the best athlete but will need to fill out, and Tait, Mack and Burgess are hulks in the mold of Mylon Brown, who redshirted last year and will get a long look at a starting position next season. Have you noticed that Vandy coaches really, really don't want to start Reilly Lauer but haven't had any other choice the last two seasons?

OTHER RECRUITING NEEDS

Yes, we absolutely need better offensive linemen. We also absolutely need better wide receivers, but we've got verbals from four — unfortunately, the best of the bunch, Bradley Roby, who would start for us right away, is flirting with Auburn.

Oh yeah, we also badly need a punter to replace Brett Upson. We've offered William Russ, a former teammate of Trey Wilson, and he can punt and kick.

MORE ALL-SEC NEWS

Speaking of Upson, Brett made the coaches' second-team All-SEC team, and so did Chris Marve, Myron Lewis and, as a returner, Warren Norman.

Have you noticed we haven't had a single offensive player make even All-SEC honorable mention since Chris Williams and Earl Bennett were wearing black and gold?

Thanks for reading. Until next time...