Impressed that the Vandy ticket office has lowered prices for Elon tickets to $12? Don't be. You could get them right now on StubHub for $3, and that's the highest they've been all summer.
While we were on the ticket broker website, we checked on prices for all the other Vandy games this season. Here are all the prices (fees and taxes not included), from least to most expensive:
1. Elon: Nashville. $3
2. Wake Forest: Winston Salem, N.C. $4
3. Connecticut: Nashville. $6
4. Army: Nashville. $10
5. Tennessee: Knoxville. $20
6. Kentucky: Nashville. $23
7. Ole Miss: Nashville. $25
8. Arkansas: Nashville. $35
9. Alabama: Tuscaloosa, Ala. $35
10. South Carolina: Columbia, S.C. $39
11. Georgia: Nashville. $49
12. Florida: Gainesville, Fla. $54
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Just two freshmen on the depth chart is a good thing
So is it a good thing or a bad thing that we have only two true freshmen (center Joe Townsend and guard Spencer Pulley) on our depth chart for the opening game against Elon?
Well, last season we had a whopping eight true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Northwestern, and we went 2-10.
In 2009, we had five true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Western Carolina, and we went 2-10.
And in 2008, we had zero true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Miami-Ohio, and we of course went 7-6 and beat Boston College to win the Music City Bowl.
Our only touchdown in that game, by the way, was scored by true freshman Sean Richardson, who was on the punt coverage team.
So maybe it's a good thing that we're not relying on a bunch of true freshmen to carry us in the first game.
Here's how many true freshmen played in each of those seasons:
• 2010: Thirteen — WR Jordan Matthews, WR Jonathan Krause, OL James Kittredge, OL Logan Stewart, S Kenny Ladler, S Andre Simmons, K Carey Spear, LB Chase Garnham, CB Andre Hal, CB Steven Clarke, S Karl Butler, DT Jared Morse and TE Fitz Lassing.
• 2009: Seven — RB Zac Stacy, RB Warren Norman, CB Eddie Foster, CB Trey Wilson, CB Eric Samuels, WR Collin Ashley, WR Brady Brown.
• 2008: Two — CB Casey Hayward and S Sean Richardson.
Being on the opening day roster doesn't ensure that a true freshman will play. Last season, Chase White was listed as a second-team tackle on opening day and through much of the season, but he never played and was redshirted. Meanwhile, the other two true freshmen offensive linemen on the roster, James Kittredge and Logan Stewart, both burned their redshirts playing center after starter Joey Bailey went down. Kittredge was thrown into the fire first, struggled, and was replaced by Stewart, who finished out the season.
Well, last season we had a whopping eight true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Northwestern, and we went 2-10.
In 2009, we had five true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Western Carolina, and we went 2-10.
And in 2008, we had zero true freshmen on our depth chart for the opening game against Miami-Ohio, and we of course went 7-6 and beat Boston College to win the Music City Bowl.
Our only touchdown in that game, by the way, was scored by true freshman Sean Richardson, who was on the punt coverage team.
So maybe it's a good thing that we're not relying on a bunch of true freshmen to carry us in the first game.
Here's how many true freshmen played in each of those seasons:
• 2010: Thirteen — WR Jordan Matthews, WR Jonathan Krause, OL James Kittredge, OL Logan Stewart, S Kenny Ladler, S Andre Simmons, K Carey Spear, LB Chase Garnham, CB Andre Hal, CB Steven Clarke, S Karl Butler, DT Jared Morse and TE Fitz Lassing.
• 2009: Seven — RB Zac Stacy, RB Warren Norman, CB Eddie Foster, CB Trey Wilson, CB Eric Samuels, WR Collin Ashley, WR Brady Brown.
• 2008: Two — CB Casey Hayward and S Sean Richardson.
Being on the opening day roster doesn't ensure that a true freshman will play. Last season, Chase White was listed as a second-team tackle on opening day and through much of the season, but he never played and was redshirted. Meanwhile, the other two true freshmen offensive linemen on the roster, James Kittredge and Logan Stewart, both burned their redshirts playing center after starter Joey Bailey went down. Kittredge was thrown into the fire first, struggled, and was replaced by Stewart, who finished out the season.
Brandon Barden and Barron Dixon are MV! fan favorites
I know you’ve been wondering what happened to our exciting poll. Well, we’ve tallied all the numbers and come up with the first annual MV! TOP 25 VU PLAYERS and the first annual MV! TOP 10 VU FRESHMEN. That means the 25 players and 10 freshmen you think will see the most meaningful playing time at their respective positions.
Here goes:
MV! FAN TOP 25
1. Brandon Barden, TE, R-SR (97 percent)
2. Casey Hayward, CB, SR (96 percent)
3. Chris Marve, LB, R-SR (94 percent)
4. Warren Norman, RB, JR (94 percent)
5. Wesley Tate, ATH, R-SO (94 percent)
6. Sean Richardson, S, SR (92 percent)
7. Zac Stacy, RB, JR (92 percent)
8. Tim Fugger, DE, R-SR (92 percent)
9. T.J. Greenstone, DT, R-SR (91 percent)
10. Kenny Ladler, S, SO (88 percent)
11. Jordan Matthews, WR, SO (88 percent)
12. Rob Lohr, DT, R-JR (88 percent)
13. Walker May, DE, R-SO (88 percent)
14. Kyle Fischer, OL, R-SR (86 percent)
15. Jonathan Krause, WR, SO (86 percent)
16. Ryan Seymour, OL, R-JR (86 percent)
17. Javon Marshall, S, R-SO (85 percent)
18. Kyle Woestmann, DE, R-FR (84 percent)
19. Wesley Johnson, OL, R-SO (81 percent)
20. Eddie Foster, CB, JR (80 percent)
21. Larry Smith, QB, R-SR (78 percent)
22. Colt Nichter, DT, R-JR (77 percent)
23. Chase Garnham, LB, SO (75 percent)
24. Austin Monahan, TE, R-JR (71 percent)
25. Trey Wilson, CB, JR (70 percent)
MV! FAN TOP 25: THE FRESHMEN
1. Barron Dixon, DT (42 percent)
2. Derek King, CB (36 percent)
3. Jacquese Kirk, ATH (33 percent)
4. Dillon van der Wal, TE (33 percent)
5. Lafonte Thourogood, ATH (25 percent)
6. Darien Bryant, DE (23 percent)
7. Jerron Seymour, RB (22 percent)
8. Spencer Pulley, OL (21 percent)
9. Jake Bernstein, OL (18 percent)
10. Josh Grady, QB (16 percent)
Feel free to disagree, but remember that these are not the official picks of the MV! staff. These are fan picks. We’ll share our own thoughts, especially our annual look at which freshmen have the best shot at playing this season, in a day or two.
Here goes:
MV! FAN TOP 25
1. Brandon Barden, TE, R-SR (97 percent)
2. Casey Hayward, CB, SR (96 percent)
3. Chris Marve, LB, R-SR (94 percent)
4. Warren Norman, RB, JR (94 percent)
5. Wesley Tate, ATH, R-SO (94 percent)
6. Sean Richardson, S, SR (92 percent)
7. Zac Stacy, RB, JR (92 percent)
8. Tim Fugger, DE, R-SR (92 percent)
9. T.J. Greenstone, DT, R-SR (91 percent)
10. Kenny Ladler, S, SO (88 percent)
11. Jordan Matthews, WR, SO (88 percent)
12. Rob Lohr, DT, R-JR (88 percent)
13. Walker May, DE, R-SO (88 percent)
14. Kyle Fischer, OL, R-SR (86 percent)
15. Jonathan Krause, WR, SO (86 percent)
16. Ryan Seymour, OL, R-JR (86 percent)
17. Javon Marshall, S, R-SO (85 percent)
18. Kyle Woestmann, DE, R-FR (84 percent)
19. Wesley Johnson, OL, R-SO (81 percent)
20. Eddie Foster, CB, JR (80 percent)
21. Larry Smith, QB, R-SR (78 percent)
22. Colt Nichter, DT, R-JR (77 percent)
23. Chase Garnham, LB, SO (75 percent)
24. Austin Monahan, TE, R-JR (71 percent)
25. Trey Wilson, CB, JR (70 percent)
MV! FAN TOP 25: THE FRESHMEN
1. Barron Dixon, DT (42 percent)
2. Derek King, CB (36 percent)
3. Jacquese Kirk, ATH (33 percent)
4. Dillon van der Wal, TE (33 percent)
5. Lafonte Thourogood, ATH (25 percent)
6. Darien Bryant, DE (23 percent)
7. Jerron Seymour, RB (22 percent)
8. Spencer Pulley, OL (21 percent)
9. Jake Bernstein, OL (18 percent)
10. Josh Grady, QB (16 percent)
Feel free to disagree, but remember that these are not the official picks of the MV! staff. These are fan picks. We’ll share our own thoughts, especially our annual look at which freshmen have the best shot at playing this season, in a day or two.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Only two true freshmen on Vanderbilt depth chart
Coach James Franklin released his depth chart today, without a ton of surprises. Only two true freshman, offensive linemen Joe Townsend and Spencer Pulley, are on the depth chart, but Franklin says he plans to play as many guys as he possibly can against Elon, to include true freshmen.
The differences between the sneak-peek starting lineup that Jeff Lockridge gave fans last week and the real deal are these:
• Wide receiver: Jonathan Krause and Udom Umoh are listed as starters ahead of John Cole.
• Defensive end: Johnell Thomas, instead of Kyle Woestmann, is starting opposite Tim Fugger.
• Safety: Kenny Ladler hangs onto his starting free safety job, instead of losing it to Javon Marshall.
Here’s a breakdown, position by position:
QUARTERBACK
Who’s on first? R-SR Larry Smith
Who’s on second? R-JR Jordan Rodgers
Who’s not mentioned? FR Josh Grady, FR Kris Kentera, FR Lafonte Thourogood
Any surprises? No. Smith has all the physical tools Franklin is looking for. Rodgers, limited in practice, may yet show he has the intangibles. Grady is the clear No. 3.
RUNNING BACK
Who’s on first? JR Zac Stacy
Who’s on second? JR Warren Norman and R-JR Micah Powell
Who’s not mentioned? FR Jerron Seymour and FR Mitchell Hester
Any surprises? Only that Powell, strictly a role player, is ahead of the freshmen. Stacy looks as sharp as ever while Norman hasn’t completely returned from injury. Seymour, who’s been hobbled lately, could be a star as early as this season.
FULLBACK
Who’s on first? SO Fitz Lassing
Who’s on second? R-SO Mason Johnston
Who’s not mentioned? R-SO Marc Panu
Any surprises? Only that Johnston, who lined up in the backfield some last year, is now listed at fullback, though he’s certainly capable there.
WIDE RECEIVER
Who’s on first? SO Jordan Matthews, SO Jonathan Krause and R-SR Udom Umoh
Who’s on second? R-JR Akeem Dunham, R-FR Chris Boyd, R-JR John Cole and R-SO Wesley Tate
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Trent Pruitt, R-SO Brady Brown, FR Jacquese Kirk
Any surprises? Umoh, who’s had trouble catching the ball in practice, is listed ahead of Cole as the third receiver in the event the team doesn’t open with a fullback. Boyd is apparently returning from injury and Tate is learning the ropes.
TIGHT END
Who’s on first? R-SR Brandon Barden
Who’s on second? R-JR Austin Monahan
Who’s not mentioned? FR Dillon van der Wal and FR Steven Scheu
Any surprises? No. Expect to see Lassing and Johnston line up here as well.
CENTER
Who’s on first? R-SO Wesley Johnson
Who’s on second? FR Joe Townsend
Who’s not mentioned? SO Logan Stewart and FR Jose Valedon
Any surprises? No. Stewart, who started the second half of last year, wore a red jersey throughout camp, while Johnson proved himself a natural here. Townsend, recruited as a defensive lineman, has jumped ahead of fellow frosh Valedon for the time being.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Who’s on first? R-JR Jabo Burrow (left) and R-SO Mylon Brown (right)
Who’s on second? FR Spencer Pulley and R-FR Chase White
Who’s not mentioned? R-JR Josh Jelesky and R-FR Grant Ramsay
Any surprises? Only that Jelesky, who moved from defense in preseason, has dropped below two freshmen on the depth chart. He’s a work in progress.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Who’s on first? R-JR Ryan Seymour (left) and R-SR Kyle Fischer (right)
Who’s on second? R-FR Andrew Bridges and R-JR Caleb Welchans
Who’s not mentioned? FR James Lewis and FR Jake Bernstein
Any surprises? No. Bernstein could play guard this season, while the highly regarded Lewis has been injured.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Who’s on first? R-JR Rob Lohr and R-JR Colt Nichter
Who’s on second? SO Jared Morse and R-SR T.J. Greenstone
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Vince Taylor, FR Barron Dixon and FR Conor Hart
Any surprises? Not really. Nichter had a spectacular preseason, beating out Greenstone. Expect to hear from Taylor and maybe even Dixon before season’s end.
DEFENSIVE END
Who’s on first? R-SR Tim Fugger and R-JR Johnell Thomas
Who’s on second? R-FR Kyle Woestmann, R-SO Thad McHaney and R-SO Walker May
Who’s not mentioned? R-JR Dexter Daniels, R-FR Thomas Ryan, FR Darien Bryant and FR Jimmy Stewart
Any surprises? Yeah. Woestmann has been penciled in as a starter since spring but now Thomas, who’s surprised coaches with his athleticism, appears to be the opening day starter.
LINEBACKER
Who’s on first? R-SR Chris Marve (middle), SO Chase Garnham (strongside), R-JR Tristan Strong (weakside)
Who’s on second? R-JR Archibald Barnes, R-JR DeAndre Jones, R-JR Al Owens
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Andrew East and R-FR Blake Gowder
Any surprises? No. Garnham’s had a great camp, and Strong reportedly had an edge over Barnes. Expect to see safeties enter the game instead of Jones and Owens.
CORNERBACK
Who’s on first? SR Casey Hayward and JR Trey Wilson
Who’s on second? SO Andre Hal, JR Eddie Foster and SO Steven Clarke
Who’s not mentioned? FR Derek King
Any surprises? No. Coaches have raved about the development of Wilson. King will likely begin as a special teams star.
SAFETY
Who’s on first? SR Sean Richardson (strong) and SO Kenny Ladler (free)
Who’s on second? R-SO Javon Marshall, JR Eric Samuels, SO Karl Butler, SO Andre Simmons
Who’s not mentioned? FR Andrew Williamson, FR Larry Franklin and FR Jahmel McIntosh
Any surprises? Not really, though Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean got us all excited talking about Javon Marshall starting ahead of Ladler. We think Marshall could still start, at nickel back. Expect to see all six of these guys playing in big games, though maybe not at the same time.
KICKER
Who’s on first? SO Carey Spear (kickoffs, placekicking)
Who’s on second? R-JR Ryan Fowler
Any surprises? No. Spear, a football player who likes to run down the field and clobber people, has been named special teams captain. Don’t expect Fowler to return for a fifth year.
PUNTER
Who’s on first? R-JR Richard Kent
Who’s on second? R-JR Ryan Fowler
Any surprises? None whatsoever. Kent is the man, and anybody else is an emergency backup.
SNAPPER
Who’s on first? R-FR Andrew East (short and long)
Who’s on second? R-JR Rob Lohr (short) and R-SR Brandon Barden (long)
Any surprises? Nope. East, the rare blue-chip long snapper, gets to show his stuff.
RETURNERS
Who’s on first? R-JR John Cole and SO Jonathan Krause (punt) and JR Eric Samuels (kick)
Who’s on second? R-SO Wesley Tate (kick)
Who’s not mentioned? JR Zac Stacy (punt), JR Warren Norman and SO Andre Hal (kick)
Any surprises? We don’t think Cole and Samuels will be our top returners by season’s end. Norman is a no-brainer if healthy and we’d love to see what Mitchell Hester could do.
The differences between the sneak-peek starting lineup that Jeff Lockridge gave fans last week and the real deal are these:
• Wide receiver: Jonathan Krause and Udom Umoh are listed as starters ahead of John Cole.
• Defensive end: Johnell Thomas, instead of Kyle Woestmann, is starting opposite Tim Fugger.
• Safety: Kenny Ladler hangs onto his starting free safety job, instead of losing it to Javon Marshall.
Here’s a breakdown, position by position:
QUARTERBACK
Who’s on first? R-SR Larry Smith
Who’s on second? R-JR Jordan Rodgers
Who’s not mentioned? FR Josh Grady, FR Kris Kentera, FR Lafonte Thourogood
Any surprises? No. Smith has all the physical tools Franklin is looking for. Rodgers, limited in practice, may yet show he has the intangibles. Grady is the clear No. 3.
RUNNING BACK
Who’s on first? JR Zac Stacy
Who’s on second? JR Warren Norman and R-JR Micah Powell
Who’s not mentioned? FR Jerron Seymour and FR Mitchell Hester
Any surprises? Only that Powell, strictly a role player, is ahead of the freshmen. Stacy looks as sharp as ever while Norman hasn’t completely returned from injury. Seymour, who’s been hobbled lately, could be a star as early as this season.
FULLBACK
Who’s on first? SO Fitz Lassing
Who’s on second? R-SO Mason Johnston
Who’s not mentioned? R-SO Marc Panu
Any surprises? Only that Johnston, who lined up in the backfield some last year, is now listed at fullback, though he’s certainly capable there.
WIDE RECEIVER
Who’s on first? SO Jordan Matthews, SO Jonathan Krause and R-SR Udom Umoh
Who’s on second? R-JR Akeem Dunham, R-FR Chris Boyd, R-JR John Cole and R-SO Wesley Tate
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Trent Pruitt, R-SO Brady Brown, FR Jacquese Kirk
Any surprises? Umoh, who’s had trouble catching the ball in practice, is listed ahead of Cole as the third receiver in the event the team doesn’t open with a fullback. Boyd is apparently returning from injury and Tate is learning the ropes.
TIGHT END
Who’s on first? R-SR Brandon Barden
Who’s on second? R-JR Austin Monahan
Who’s not mentioned? FR Dillon van der Wal and FR Steven Scheu
Any surprises? No. Expect to see Lassing and Johnston line up here as well.
CENTER
Who’s on first? R-SO Wesley Johnson
Who’s on second? FR Joe Townsend
Who’s not mentioned? SO Logan Stewart and FR Jose Valedon
Any surprises? No. Stewart, who started the second half of last year, wore a red jersey throughout camp, while Johnson proved himself a natural here. Townsend, recruited as a defensive lineman, has jumped ahead of fellow frosh Valedon for the time being.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Who’s on first? R-JR Jabo Burrow (left) and R-SO Mylon Brown (right)
Who’s on second? FR Spencer Pulley and R-FR Chase White
Who’s not mentioned? R-JR Josh Jelesky and R-FR Grant Ramsay
Any surprises? Only that Jelesky, who moved from defense in preseason, has dropped below two freshmen on the depth chart. He’s a work in progress.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Who’s on first? R-JR Ryan Seymour (left) and R-SR Kyle Fischer (right)
Who’s on second? R-FR Andrew Bridges and R-JR Caleb Welchans
Who’s not mentioned? FR James Lewis and FR Jake Bernstein
Any surprises? No. Bernstein could play guard this season, while the highly regarded Lewis has been injured.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Who’s on first? R-JR Rob Lohr and R-JR Colt Nichter
Who’s on second? SO Jared Morse and R-SR T.J. Greenstone
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Vince Taylor, FR Barron Dixon and FR Conor Hart
Any surprises? Not really. Nichter had a spectacular preseason, beating out Greenstone. Expect to hear from Taylor and maybe even Dixon before season’s end.
DEFENSIVE END
Who’s on first? R-SR Tim Fugger and R-JR Johnell Thomas
Who’s on second? R-FR Kyle Woestmann, R-SO Thad McHaney and R-SO Walker May
Who’s not mentioned? R-JR Dexter Daniels, R-FR Thomas Ryan, FR Darien Bryant and FR Jimmy Stewart
Any surprises? Yeah. Woestmann has been penciled in as a starter since spring but now Thomas, who’s surprised coaches with his athleticism, appears to be the opening day starter.
LINEBACKER
Who’s on first? R-SR Chris Marve (middle), SO Chase Garnham (strongside), R-JR Tristan Strong (weakside)
Who’s on second? R-JR Archibald Barnes, R-JR DeAndre Jones, R-JR Al Owens
Who’s not mentioned? R-FR Andrew East and R-FR Blake Gowder
Any surprises? No. Garnham’s had a great camp, and Strong reportedly had an edge over Barnes. Expect to see safeties enter the game instead of Jones and Owens.
CORNERBACK
Who’s on first? SR Casey Hayward and JR Trey Wilson
Who’s on second? SO Andre Hal, JR Eddie Foster and SO Steven Clarke
Who’s not mentioned? FR Derek King
Any surprises? No. Coaches have raved about the development of Wilson. King will likely begin as a special teams star.
SAFETY
Who’s on first? SR Sean Richardson (strong) and SO Kenny Ladler (free)
Who’s on second? R-SO Javon Marshall, JR Eric Samuels, SO Karl Butler, SO Andre Simmons
Who’s not mentioned? FR Andrew Williamson, FR Larry Franklin and FR Jahmel McIntosh
Any surprises? Not really, though Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean got us all excited talking about Javon Marshall starting ahead of Ladler. We think Marshall could still start, at nickel back. Expect to see all six of these guys playing in big games, though maybe not at the same time.
KICKER
Who’s on first? SO Carey Spear (kickoffs, placekicking)
Who’s on second? R-JR Ryan Fowler
Any surprises? No. Spear, a football player who likes to run down the field and clobber people, has been named special teams captain. Don’t expect Fowler to return for a fifth year.
PUNTER
Who’s on first? R-JR Richard Kent
Who’s on second? R-JR Ryan Fowler
Any surprises? None whatsoever. Kent is the man, and anybody else is an emergency backup.
SNAPPER
Who’s on first? R-FR Andrew East (short and long)
Who’s on second? R-JR Rob Lohr (short) and R-SR Brandon Barden (long)
Any surprises? Nope. East, the rare blue-chip long snapper, gets to show his stuff.
RETURNERS
Who’s on first? R-JR John Cole and SO Jonathan Krause (punt) and JR Eric Samuels (kick)
Who’s on second? R-SO Wesley Tate (kick)
Who’s not mentioned? JR Zac Stacy (punt), JR Warren Norman and SO Andre Hal (kick)
Any surprises? We don’t think Cole and Samuels will be our top returners by season’s end. Norman is a no-brainer if healthy and we’d love to see what Mitchell Hester could do.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The 12 players Vandy can least afford to lose
Just thinking about the players we can least afford to lose this season. Some superstitious fans hate this kind of talk. If you prefer to call it our most valuable players, that’s great.
You’ll notice some glaring omissions, including guys like Zac Stacy who could make all-conference or surrender his starting position to another veteran (Warren Norman) or even a true freshman (Jerron Seymour). Or a guy like Larry Smith, who’s won a starting job at a critical position but could lose it after one poor performance.
Here’s our list of vital players:
1. LB Chris Marve, R-SR: The heart and soul of our team. If anybody can will us to win, it’s Marve.
2. CB Casey Hayward, SR: A future NFL cornerback and the kind of weapon you need to compete in the SEC.
3. OL Wesley Johnson, R-SO : Our best offensive lineman who can play anywhere on the line.
4. WR Jordan Matthews, SO: The legitimate SEC receiver we’ve been looking for since Earl Bennett left a year early for the NFL.
5. OL Ryan Seymour, R-JR: With Johnson moving to center, he’s by far the best option to play left tackle.
6. TE Brandon Barden, R-SR: A future NFL tight end who’s a versatile weapon capable of making huge plays in big games.
7. S Sean Richardson, SR: A tough hitter and defensive leader. We’ve got a lot of young talent at safety, but we need this guy on the field more than any of them.
8. P Richard Kent, R-JR: No, his leg didn’t fall off last season. He’s rested and booming the ball higher than ever. Could be our unsung hero this year.
9. CB Trey Wilson, JR: Has steadily gotten better every year and is now ready for the action he’ll see when teams throw away from Hayward’s side of the field.
10. WR Jonathan Krause, SO: Lots of questions at receiver, but he and Matthews aren’t among them.
11. OL Kyle Fischer, R-SR: One of our three sure-fire starters on the O-line, he’s one of our largest players, and a seasoned veteran and leader.
12. DE Tim Fugger, R-SR: We’ve got some young talent at end, but Fugger has by far the most experience to go with his speed on the edge.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Cornerbacks grab the attention of Vandy beat writers
Brandon Barca, the web guy over at the VU athletic department, has a great feature on the official site in which he asked four Vandy writers covering preseason camp to name the players who’ve stood out to them over the past few week.
The names that kept popping up were WR Jordan Matthews, RBs Zac Stacy and freshman Jerron Seymour, DT Colt Nichter, FS Javon Marshall, K Carey Spear and three cornerbacks – SR Casey Hayward, JR Trey Wilson and SO Andre Hal.
CORNERBACKS
Yes, the writers considered Hayward and Wilson to be among the very best players on the team, and Hal to be one of Vandy’s best defensive players.
So here’s what we have returning at cornerback: A preseason All-SEC pick and All-American candidate (Hayward), a returning starter (Eddie Foster, who received no mention from the writers), one of the best players on the entire team (Wilson), and a young guy who’s suddenly become one of our very best defenders (Hal).
Yes, I’d say cornerback’s definitely a team strength.
SAFETIES
Or you could point to the whole secondary, where at safety we have a legitimate All-SEC candidate (Sean Richardson) and a returning starter (Kenny Ladler) but also, according to the writers, another guy who’s suddenly become one of our very best defenders (Marshall) and another young guy who’s been the surprise player of camp (Karl Butler).
DEFENSIVE LINE
The writers also consider defensive line to be a team strength, with Colt Nichter emerging as one of the team’s signature defenders, redshirt freshmen Vince Taylor and Kyle Woestmann showing dramatic improvement, and true freshman Barron Dixon also looking surprisingly sharp. And that doesn’t include returning starters T.J. Greenstone, Rob Lohr and Tim Fugger, or guys like Walker May, Jared Morse and Johnell Thomas.
LINEBACKER
At linebacker, Chase Garnham often looked like one of the defense’s top players, and Tristan Strong also was a surprise.
KICKERS
On special teams, Carey Spear appears to have grabbed the full-time placekicking duties from Ryan Fowler, and Richard Kent has a rested leg – at least for now – and is booming punts.
OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS
On offense, Jordan Matthews and Zac Stacy seem head and shoulders above everybody else – literally in Matthews’ case and figuratively in the case of Z.
Among the freshmen playmakers, RB Jerron Seymour had the entire team buzzing about his ability to accelerate and to cut and make tacklers miss. Fellow RB Mitchell Hester and QB Josh Grady also look like keepers. The Tennessean’s Jeff Lockridge says Grady had good arm strength, which was something recruiting sites have been questioning over the past year or so.
Oh, and redshirt junior running back Micah Powell also got a mention for stepping in capably when Warren Norman got injured. With all the little backs we have, Micah may very well be needed to get some tough inside yards or throw some blocks.
OFFENSIVE LINE
On the line, Wesley Johnson and Kyle Fischer look much improved, and Mylon Brown, whom the Tennessean’s Jeff Lockridge says was slow, fat and lazy last year, looks like a powerhouse as a starting guard. And Josh Jelesky, who moved over from defensive tackle, was also a huge surprise. Jesse Johnson of VandySports.com says Jelesky still looks a little light in the lower body (he’s listed at 265) but he’s got great hand technique and is catching on fast. Of the true freshmen, Spencer Pulley turned in the best performance in camp and just may play this year.
WHERE'S MARVE?
Keep in mind that these ink-stained wretches — or tech geeks, take your pick — are trying to show their expertise and originality by mentioning some names they think the other writers won’t mention. Where’s the excitement in naming Chris Marve as one of the team’s top players?
Many veterans who’ve already grabbed starting positions – TE Brandon Barden, QB Larry Smith, OT Ryan Seymour, DE Tim Fugger and yes, Marve – weren’t mentioned by the writers. That’s nothing to be concerned about. Do we really want Chris Marve leaving it all on the practice field? No.
After opening kickoff, it'll be a whole new ballgame.
The names that kept popping up were WR Jordan Matthews, RBs Zac Stacy and freshman Jerron Seymour, DT Colt Nichter, FS Javon Marshall, K Carey Spear and three cornerbacks – SR Casey Hayward, JR Trey Wilson and SO Andre Hal.
CORNERBACKS
Yes, the writers considered Hayward and Wilson to be among the very best players on the team, and Hal to be one of Vandy’s best defensive players.
So here’s what we have returning at cornerback: A preseason All-SEC pick and All-American candidate (Hayward), a returning starter (Eddie Foster, who received no mention from the writers), one of the best players on the entire team (Wilson), and a young guy who’s suddenly become one of our very best defenders (Hal).
Yes, I’d say cornerback’s definitely a team strength.
SAFETIES
Or you could point to the whole secondary, where at safety we have a legitimate All-SEC candidate (Sean Richardson) and a returning starter (Kenny Ladler) but also, according to the writers, another guy who’s suddenly become one of our very best defenders (Marshall) and another young guy who’s been the surprise player of camp (Karl Butler).
DEFENSIVE LINE
The writers also consider defensive line to be a team strength, with Colt Nichter emerging as one of the team’s signature defenders, redshirt freshmen Vince Taylor and Kyle Woestmann showing dramatic improvement, and true freshman Barron Dixon also looking surprisingly sharp. And that doesn’t include returning starters T.J. Greenstone, Rob Lohr and Tim Fugger, or guys like Walker May, Jared Morse and Johnell Thomas.
LINEBACKER
At linebacker, Chase Garnham often looked like one of the defense’s top players, and Tristan Strong also was a surprise.
KICKERS
On special teams, Carey Spear appears to have grabbed the full-time placekicking duties from Ryan Fowler, and Richard Kent has a rested leg – at least for now – and is booming punts.
OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS
On offense, Jordan Matthews and Zac Stacy seem head and shoulders above everybody else – literally in Matthews’ case and figuratively in the case of Z.
Among the freshmen playmakers, RB Jerron Seymour had the entire team buzzing about his ability to accelerate and to cut and make tacklers miss. Fellow RB Mitchell Hester and QB Josh Grady also look like keepers. The Tennessean’s Jeff Lockridge says Grady had good arm strength, which was something recruiting sites have been questioning over the past year or so.
Oh, and redshirt junior running back Micah Powell also got a mention for stepping in capably when Warren Norman got injured. With all the little backs we have, Micah may very well be needed to get some tough inside yards or throw some blocks.
OFFENSIVE LINE
On the line, Wesley Johnson and Kyle Fischer look much improved, and Mylon Brown, whom the Tennessean’s Jeff Lockridge says was slow, fat and lazy last year, looks like a powerhouse as a starting guard. And Josh Jelesky, who moved over from defensive tackle, was also a huge surprise. Jesse Johnson of VandySports.com says Jelesky still looks a little light in the lower body (he’s listed at 265) but he’s got great hand technique and is catching on fast. Of the true freshmen, Spencer Pulley turned in the best performance in camp and just may play this year.
WHERE'S MARVE?
Keep in mind that these ink-stained wretches — or tech geeks, take your pick — are trying to show their expertise and originality by mentioning some names they think the other writers won’t mention. Where’s the excitement in naming Chris Marve as one of the team’s top players?
Many veterans who’ve already grabbed starting positions – TE Brandon Barden, QB Larry Smith, OT Ryan Seymour, DE Tim Fugger and yes, Marve – weren’t mentioned by the writers. That’s nothing to be concerned about. Do we really want Chris Marve leaving it all on the practice field? No.
After opening kickoff, it'll be a whole new ballgame.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
What are the youngest positions for Vandy football?
You know how our roster has three true freshmen scholarship quarterbacks? Well, that has us wondering which of our positions are the youngest, and which are the oldest. And no, it’s not always a good thing to be old, as in the case of our linebacking corps. Our youngest position, safety, has nearly as much playing experience as our oldest, linebacker.
Anyway, here’s a ranking from youngest to oldest, with playing experience also listed:
1. SAFETY
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 1.0
Average age of starters: Junior
Our youngest position with only two upperclassmen in a stable of nine players. And the talent is impressive, with four sophomores and three true freshmen with the ability to start in the SEC. Expect some of these guys to play some linebacker this season.
2. OFFENSIVE LINE
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 0.75
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
Of our 16 offensive linemen, half of them have never played in a college football game, and one redshirt junior has never played the position before.
3. QUARTERBACK
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 0.6
Age of starter: Redshirt senior
Sure, Larry Smith is a redshirt senior, but after that, nobody’s ever played in a college game.
4. RUNNING BACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.0
Average age of starters: Junior
Norman and Stacy are veterans, Powell’s played sparingly and then there’s the two true freshmen
5. DEFENSIVE END
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 0.8
Average age of starters: Junior
A nice mix of youth and age, at least on paper, but next year the influx of 3-4 true freshmen will create some thinning of the herd here.
6. TIGHT END/FULLBACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.2
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
From Barden and Monahan to van der Wal and Scheu, a nice mix of experience and youth.
7. WIDE RECEIVER
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 0.9
Average age of starters: Sophomore
Our shakiest players are the oldest and our most promising are just getting started.
8. CORNERBACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.5
Average age of starters: Junior
Three upperclassmen and three underclassmen. Not a single redshirt in the bunch.
9. DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.1
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
Four are upperclassmen and four are underclassmen.
10. LINEBACKER
Average age: Junior
Average years experience: 1.1
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
By far our oldest position, but after Marve, also our shakiest. And the age is deceptive. Half of our linebackers are redshirt juniors, but they have one start among them. Next year, Marve’s loss will hurt, but the arrival of talented true freshmen will create an overall upgrade.
Anyway, here’s a ranking from youngest to oldest, with playing experience also listed:
1. SAFETY
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 1.0
Average age of starters: Junior
Our youngest position with only two upperclassmen in a stable of nine players. And the talent is impressive, with four sophomores and three true freshmen with the ability to start in the SEC. Expect some of these guys to play some linebacker this season.
2. OFFENSIVE LINE
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 0.75
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
Of our 16 offensive linemen, half of them have never played in a college football game, and one redshirt junior has never played the position before.
3. QUARTERBACK
Average age: Sophomore
Average years experience: 0.6
Age of starter: Redshirt senior
Sure, Larry Smith is a redshirt senior, but after that, nobody’s ever played in a college game.
4. RUNNING BACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.0
Average age of starters: Junior
Norman and Stacy are veterans, Powell’s played sparingly and then there’s the two true freshmen
5. DEFENSIVE END
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 0.8
Average age of starters: Junior
A nice mix of youth and age, at least on paper, but next year the influx of 3-4 true freshmen will create some thinning of the herd here.
6. TIGHT END/FULLBACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.2
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
From Barden and Monahan to van der Wal and Scheu, a nice mix of experience and youth.
7. WIDE RECEIVER
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 0.9
Average age of starters: Sophomore
Our shakiest players are the oldest and our most promising are just getting started.
8. CORNERBACK
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.5
Average age of starters: Junior
Three upperclassmen and three underclassmen. Not a single redshirt in the bunch.
9. DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Average age: Redshirt sophomore
Average years experience: 1.1
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
Four are upperclassmen and four are underclassmen.
10. LINEBACKER
Average age: Junior
Average years experience: 1.1
Average age of starters: Redshirt junior
By far our oldest position, but after Marve, also our shakiest. And the age is deceptive. Half of our linebackers are redshirt juniors, but they have one start among them. Next year, Marve’s loss will hurt, but the arrival of talented true freshmen will create an overall upgrade.
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