Which receivers do you think will start for Vandy in 2010? Vote in our new poll!

Today we took down our poll asking which freshman receiver has the best chance to start for the Commodores in 2010. Bradley Roby was the runaway winner with 70 percent of the vote, followed by Chris Boyd and Jonathan Krause in a very distant second and third.

Of course, Roby recently switched his verbal commitment from Vandy to Ohio State, which makes the poll obsolete.

So we've got a new poll: By the end of the 2010 season, which wide receivers will have started for Vanderbilt? Obviously, you can vote for multiple players.

Here are the possibilities:

• Returning starters John Cole, a redshirt sophomore, and Udom Umoh, a redshirt junior.
• Redshirt junior utility man Jamie Graham, who's a natural at defensive back, but who can forget those end zone jump-ball grabs in 2008?
• Redshirt junior Tray Herndon and redshirt senior Turner Wimberly, who saw quite a bit of playing time in 2009 but didn't make much of a splash.
• Sophomore Brady Brown, a blue-chipper who played last season but didn't catch a pass, and redshirt sophomore Akeem Dunham, a gifted athlete who's still learning to play football. If you're wondering, Collin Ashley is no longer listed on the roster and has reportedly left school.
• Walk-ons Charlie Byrge and Jameson Sackey, who are both redshirt sophomores.
• True freshmen Chris Boyd, Trent Pruitt, Jonathan Krause and Jordan Matthews. A fifth, athlete Jerrell Priester, sometimes enters conversations about receivers but is listed as a running back and could end up as a corner.

Let me know if I'm leaving anybody out or if you think somebody else should be lining up at receiver — like Golden Tate's little brother Wesley or another of the running backs or maybe a defensive back such as Eric Samuels or Eddie Foster.

Theron Kadri back, says he almost made "a big mistake"; meanwhile, Vandy receivers are (mostly) still short

The Tennessean's Jeff Lockridge reports that Theron Kadri has returned to the team. That's good news. With Steven Stone out for at least a month, that means Kadri and Teriall Brannon will back starters Broderick Stewart and Tim Fugger, and they'll get help from redshirt freshmen Johnell Thomas and Josh Jelesky. It also means Walker May can get back to the chow hall and put on some more weight. We'll need you next season, buddy.

“I wasn’t sure if this was the place I needed to stay," Kadri told the Tennessean. "From talking to my teammates who have graduated from here and who are still here now and family members, they all just advised me and helped me through it. And (they) helped me make the right decision and stopped me from making a big mistake.”

The smart thing Kadri did was stay on campus and attend class during the three days he was away from the team. Johnson said Kadri was welcomed back with "open arms," adding: "I think Theron knows for him the best place is Vanderbilt. And we’re glad to have him back.”

After it was announced earlier this week that Kadri was leaving, some Vandy fans said good riddance and called Kadri's career a bust. Not so fast. The guy's only played two seasons, and it's really quite an achievement to avoid a redshirt in a Bobby Johnson program. It means you've got — or will soon get — game.

WIDE RECEIVER UPDATE: John Cole's running well and appears to be recovered from his baffling array of injuries. We really, really need him healthy. Speaking of receivers, much has been made lately of the vertical challenges our receivers face. The likely starters are the 5-11 Cole, plus 5-10 Alex Washington, and 6-0 Udom Umoh. Second teamers, at least on the preseason depth chart, are 5-9 Chris Reinert, 6-0 Tray Herndon and 6-1 Turner Wimberly.

"They’re not basketball players, no," Coach Bobby Johnson said in a video interview on Thursday night.

Actually, redshirt freshman Akeem Dunham was a high school basketball star. He's positively towering at 6-3. Of course, true freshman Brady Brown is 6-4. The other true freshman, Collin Ashley, fits the Vandy mold a little better — he's 5-11.

REINERT NOT YOUR TYPICAL WALK-ON: Nice article in the The Hustler about Chris Reinert, the walk-on receiver from California who's best known for pumping up the crowd in last year's South Carolina game as he was being carried off the field with a broken leg. (The Hustler, by the way, is the name of the Vanderbilt student paper. I must say I enjoyed coming home for Thanksgiving my freshman year and telling my relatives I was writing articles for the The Hustler.) Did you know Reinert actually had a scholarship offer from Stanford? I didn't. He now has a scholarship to play for the Commodores.

John Cole was the trendy go-to guy at wide receiver... who'll step up now that he's injured again?

Like everybody, I'm bummed that Steven Stone broke his foot and will be out at least until the Ole Miss game. It's a shame to lose an established starter like Stone, especially somebody so good at rushing the passer and stopping the run.

But I'm not despondent. Sophomore Tim Fugger's hungry and ready to go. And juniors Teriall Brannon and Theron Kadri have starting experience. And redshirt freshman Johnell Thomas appears to be too talented to keep off the field.

No, what really worries me are the seemingly continuous string of injuries to redshirt freshman receiver John Cole. You may remember him as one of three true freshman to play in last season's opener, when he injured his knee on special teams. But he spent the rest of the fall and all winter and spring bulking up and getting ready to crack the starting lineup. Bobby Johnson was calling him one of the team's "most explosive" receivers and saying he had a "new body" this season. And his name really started popping up after Terance Jeffers-Harris was declared ineligible.

But around the same time, as Vandy was starting preseason practices, the injury bug was biting Cole again. First it was a hamstring and now he's wearing a boot and hobbling around with a sprained. And so Jamie Graham, who'll be counted on at corner and nickel on defense, is now spending some practice time back on the offensive side of the ball.

With Cole hobbled and TJ-H gone, who'll be the go-to guy at wide receiver?
• Senior Alex Washington, who looked all-world in the spring game?
• Sophomore Udom Umoh, who got on track in the Music City Bowl and caught the first three passes of his career?
• Sophomore Tray Herndon, who was impressive as a freshman at Minnesota?
• Redshirt frosh Akeem Dunham, who's tall and who's got soft hands and good hops?
• Junior Justin Green, a huge target who just moved from tight end?
• True freshman Brady Brown, a possession receiver whom every Vandy fan has figured all along would play right away?
• Or true freshman Collin Ashley, who was offered a late scholarship and who looks like a clone of Cole?
• Or walk-on Chris Reinert, a tough little guy coming off a broken leg?
• Or walk-on Rich Tompkins, the Vanderbilt legacy who just moved from DB?

Stay tuned. Meanwhile, guys are knocking each other out in the spring. Broderick Stewart's been woozy for a couple of days after bonking helmets with T.J. Greenstone. And offensive lineman Reilly Lauer, who started 10 games last year, missed practice Wednesday after suffering a mild concussion.

Yes, Vanderbilt has some wide receivers not named Terence Jeffers-Harris

Dang, so we spent all spring and summer talking about how Terence Jeffers-Harris would transform the Vanderbilt offense. And now he's gone. So let's talk about who we do have at wide receiver.

PROJECTED STARTERS
These guys have zero starts in a total of 44 games, most playing special teams, and 16 career catches for 159 yards and no touchdowns. Oh, and two knee surgeries.
• John Cole (5-11, 170): Redshirt freshman injured in season opener and redshirted; no career catches; fast, sure-handed and runs crisp routes; much stronger after returning from knee surgery.
• Alex Washington (5-10, 188): Redshirt senior struggled to return from knee injury last season, looked explosive in spring; no career starts; 13 career catches for 130 yards; longest catch of career was 31 yards.
• Udom Umoh (6-0, 175): Redshirt sophomore played in every game but registered first catch in bowl, finishing with three for 29 yards; good speed and hands.

PROJECTED TOP BACKUPS:
Can you say project? Herndon has an impressive Big Ten resumé and could easily crack the starting lineup, but Dunham's still transitioning from hardwood to gridiron, Green is getting a second chance at receiver, and walk-on Reinert just wants to make a few plays and pump up the crowd. We'll see...
• Tray Herndon (5-10, 180): Sophomore started seven games as a true freshman at Minnesota, catching 22 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown. Has excellent speed and hands.
• Akeem Dunham (6-3, 198): Redshirt freshman spent fall and spring getting stronger and learning the game after focusing on basketball in high school; tall, fast, sure-handed athlete.
• Justin Green (6-6, 232): Big and athletic redshirt junior, but moved to wide receiver after failing to show physical skills and aggressiveness to play tight end; has played in 18 career games, with 4 catches for 38 yards, but none last season.
• Chris Reinert (5-9, 172): Senior walk-on who's played in 13 career games, grabbing two catches for 20 yards; best known for pumping up the crowd in the South Carolina game while being wheeled off the field with a broken leg

OTHER BACKUPS:
These guys are regarded as smart and team-oriented, which means they may see some action on special teams.
• Turner Wimberly (6-1, 192): Redshirt junior listed as second team, but has bounced around from quarterback to defensive back; solid blocker and improved route runner; no career catches; best bet to play on special teams
• Rich Tompkins (5-11, 185): Sophomore walk-on played in two games on special teams before injury; listed as second-team cornerback this preseason before being moved to offense

THE TRUE FRESHMEN:
Since signing day in February, fans have counted on Brady Brown to play right away. But Ashley went unsigned and was picked up by the Commodores after Justin Wheeler went down in spring practice.
• Brady Brown (6-4, 200): Big kid from Texas with great hands and decent speed; projected as a possession receiver and has a good shot to play right away.
• Collin Ashley (5-11, 170): Another Texas kid, but with almost identical size, weight and speed as John Cole; may get lost among all the other short little route runners at the top of the depth chart

GUYS AT OTHER OFFENSIVE POSITIONS WHO'LL CATCH PASSES:
• Brandon Barden (6-5, 245): All-Freshman SEC tight end last season who pulled down 28 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns, including game-changers against South Carolina and Auburn; a big, big talent.
• Austin Monahan (6-7, 255): Redshirt sophomore tight end who started four games last season before season-ending injury; a terrific accompaniment to Barden
• Jared Hawkins (5-10, 203): Redshirt senior started 10 games last year at tailback and has hauled in 23 passes in his career for 194 yards and a score.
• Gaston Miller (5-7, 170): Redshirt junior return specialist has three career receptions for 31 yards.
• Kennard Reeves (6-0, 204): Redshirt junior had two receptions last year, including a 15-yarder against Florida.
• Zac Stacy (5-10, 194): True freshman is already turning heads as a ballcarrier, and he can catch out of the backfield, too.
• Warren Norman (5-10, 188): True freshman is perhaps the most polished receiver of the three frosh running backs, and could even get a look at receiver if things get desperate.

DEFENSIVE GUYS WHO MAY PULL A D.J.:
• Jamie Graham (6-0, 196): Sure, he's now a cornerback, but who can forget his three touchdowns in the corner of the end zone against Georgia and Florida? Expect him to see some time on offense a la D.J. Last season, he started nine games, grabbing 17 passes for 125 yards and the aforementioned three touchdowns.
• Myron Lewis (6-2, 205): The senior All-American candidate is a cornerback, but like D.J. was a wide receiver in high school and he sure looked like a receiver at the end of the Auburn and Boston College games, didn't he?