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Jelks, Stankavage to miss all of 2016

Offensive lineman Andrew Jelks will miss another full year due to injury. (Vanderbilt University)

Starting offensive lineman Andrew Jelks and backup quarterback Shawn Stankavage will re-live the same nightmare scenarios from 2015 again: both will miss their 2016 seasons with injuries similar to the ones they suffered before last season.

Coach Derek Mason confirmed on Thursday that Jelks, projected to start somewhere along the offensive line, and Stankavage, VU's third quarterback, are both done for the season with injuries.

The blow to Jelks is particularly harmful.

Penciled in as VU's starter at left tackle in preseason, Mason hinted that the fifth-year senior might help at center. Instead, Jelks manned right tackle for the first practice on Aug. 4, but by the weekend, was wearing a red jersey and wasn't participating in action of any sort.

Jelks, a Freshman All-American in 2013 by the Football Writers' Association of America, started all 12 games at left tackle in 2014. He was ruled out for 2015 on Aug. 20 of last year's fall camp with what VU termed a "leg injury."

Jelks was a preseason second-team All-Southeastern Conference pick by Lindy's, and a third-team selection according to Athlon's.

Stankavage also missed last season with what Vanderbilt also called a "leg injury."

He was behind Kyle Shurmur and Wade Freebeck on the depth chart, though it was conceivable that the redshirt sophomore, perhaps VU's most mobile player at the position, could have gotten reps in certain packages.

Interestingly, when fall camp began last Thursday, it was Will Holden manning left tackle, with Barrett Gouger at center. Those were the two places it seemed Jelks, one of the most highly-regarded linemen VU has signed in a decade, was most likely to play.

Instead, Jelks began fall camp at right guard.

By the weekend, true sophomore Justin Skule, who started some at right tackle a year ago, was getting first-teams reps at that same position.

What it means

The news almost certainly entrenches Skule as a starter somewhere, probably right where he's been practicing.

Gouger, a versatile redshirt senior whom Mason hoped to use as depth, is getting all the first-team reps at center and seems a decent bet to stick there.

True freshmen Devin Cochran and Braden Kopp have gotten some reps at right tackle, with Cochran getting more reps and likely being the more ready of the pair to play.

Jared Southers is spending most of his time backing up Holden on the left side, but could factor in somewhere.

Redshirt sophomore Bailey Granier could be an option after starting at right tackle three times last season, but he has been consistently running as the first team guard, where he seems to fit better.

Granier has surprisingly been ahead of redshirt sophomore Bruno Reagan at right guard all camp. Reagan started the final two games of 2015. He could perhaps benefit from a domino effect down the line, but five days into life without Jelks, he's not vaulted into the starting lineup.

VU would hope to get through the season using just Shurmur and Freebeck, but true freshman Deuce Wallace, who participated in spring practices as an early enrollee, is now the No. 3 quarterback.

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