Here's what's news in and around Vanderbilt football as the Commodores prepare for Saturday's game with UNLV.

It only took the NCAA nearly half the season to decide defensive lineman Malik Langham’s fate. On Tuesday, Langham, who transferred from Florida in the offseason, announced via his Twitter account that he won't play this season:

Langham practiced in fall camp and seemed to be consistently running with the second team. The sophomore would have had been in the Commodores' defensive line rotation to start the season, for sure, had he been eligible.

The ruling came at a time when the Commodores could use help along the line. Transfer Eddie Zinn-Turner announced last week that he was done for the year after surgery. Zinn-Turner never played a snap, but VU had hoped he'd help in the middle of the line after transferring from Marist last season.

The Commodores list seven defensive linemen--Drew Birchmaier, Rutger Reitmaier, Cameron Tidd, Josiah Sa'o, Brandon Maddox, Daevion Davis and Dayo Odeyingbo--on Saturday's depth chart. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF.com) snap counts, only Birchmaier (50 snaps), Odeyingbo (44), Tidd (27), Davis (21) and Reitmaier (seven) played against Ole Miss.

Quarterback Riley Neal sat out the fourth quarter of the Ole Miss game in favor of Deuce Wallace, but is listed as the starter this week. Coach Derek Mason was asked to clarify the situation, though his comments caused some confusion.

“We started the season with the idea that he won the job. We worked to build it around [him]. But you’re got to rise to the level of the guys around you. These guys have been in the program and understand where it’s at. … We’ve got to raise his level of play and expectation. … But it’s also been about the issues in and around him, too, when you talk about protection and guys being in and out of the lineup on the offensive line and what that’s looked like.”

Mason was later asked about Wallace.

"I think Deuce has been consistent and solid. He's got a different kind of energy about how he goes about his business. Right now, when I look at numbers and production, it is what it is. It's solid. It's not going to take us where we need to go right now. But he's shown that he deserves an opportunity to look at the field, I'll say that much.

"I told Riley, 'Don't look over your shoulder. Don't worry about looking over your shoulder. Keep your eyes planted firmly forward, so you can play your best ball. But Deuce is coming.'"

Mason was asked whether youth was a factor in the team's 1-4 start.

“That’s part of it. It’s a heavy part of the equation, but nobody really cares. … You play in a conference where nobody forgives you for that. … But for us, it does matter. It matters all the way around.”

Of the team's 55 players listed on this week's offensive and defensive depth charts, here's how that breaks down according to classification:

Freshman: 3

Redshirt freshman: 11

Sophomore: 3

Redshirt sophomore: 11

Junior: 7

Redshirt junior: 10

Senior: 3

Redshirt senior: 2

Graduate: 5

In another portion of the press conference, Mason spoke about injuries affecting team continuity. In that case, Mason was speaking about the offensive line, which had starting left tackle Devin Cochran out the first two games of the season. Left guard Saige Young and reserve Sean McMoore have also missed time. In another portion, he spoke about issues at inside linebacker, where starter Feleti Afemui has missed a couple of games, and at safety, where redshirt freshmen Dashaun Jerkins and Brendon Harris are now starting after beginning the season as backups.

The Commodores have had their share of injuries. A pair of key backups, Amir Abdur-Rahman and running back Jamauri Wakefield, played a few snaps before suffering season-ending injuries. Starting corner D.C. Williams has been out for the majority of two games with injury and isn't on this week's depth chart. Starting safety Frank Coppet missed the first three games, got hurt again and isn't on this week's depth chart.

Two other players who started the season as backups who projected to play some--defensive lineman Stone Edwards and safety Gil Barksdale--aren't on this week's depth chart, at all.

Mason spoke about reviewing film of the Ole Miss game together, to show how individual decisions impact the team.

“Putting those guys in the same room to show them what it looks like—It’s not just the individual performance, but to show them how it affects the outcome of one play. And then, we have maybe seven or eight plays that look like that, or guys not necessarily populating to the football, and/or how we tackle, and/or how we may not necessarily be able to get through the read progression to make it happen.

“Those things become cumulative in ballgames, and when they become cumulative, the effect is cumulative. There were some incremental wins in this ballgame, too. You’ve got to look at that, too, because young people… if all you talk about is negative, that’s all they take.”

McMoore is listed as a co-starter with Grant Miller at center. The actual starter is usually listed first; this week, that's McMoore, who came on in relief of an ineffective Miller last week.

Rowan Godwin is now listed as the backup at right guard, a change from Dan Dawkins last week. Neither played against Ole Miss.

Afemui is listed ahead of Caleb Peart at inside linebacker this week.

Cam Watkins is listed as a starting corner this week, a change from last week, when he was listed second behind B.J. Anderson in a co-starting situation. Anderson is listed as a co-starter at the other corner, ahead of Randall Haynie, who was listed as a solo starter ahead of Elijah Hamilton last week.