While College Sports are slowly becoming another form of professional sports, there is one element that the professional leagues do not have: the transfer portal. College basketball is no exception to the perpetual and manic cycle of free agency that has upended college athletics. Many of the players in this year’s NCAA Tournament are on their second and even third schools in some cases.

With the NBA’s decline into a three-point chucking contest played by oft-injured part-time employees masquerading as superstars, college basketball still has something unique that the NBA does not: the hunger to get to the NBA and to give your best on a nightly basis. Surging NIL collectives have caused players to stay in school longer, and schools can go from cellar dwellers to tournament teams in just one short off-season. In the 2024-2025 season, Vanderbilt was a perfect example of the instant boost the transfer portal can bring.

Now that it’s officially the offseason for Vanderbilt Basketball, portal season has begun with year two of the Mark Byington era approaching. The transfer portal proved to be crucial for Vanderbilt last season. Of Vanderbilt’s regular rotation players, all except freshman guard Tyler Tanner were transfer portal additions. Armed with a reported NIL war chest, which just got a massive boost from alumnus Mark H. Carter, Vanderbilt is in a position to add to and reload its roster.

Here are a few areas where Vanderbilt can improve its roster heading into the 2025-2026 season:

This season, guard Jason Edwards had to carry the entire load for Vanderbilt’s offense on most nights. When Edwards struggled, the Commodores often found themselves in trouble and on the wrong end of the box score. Throughout the season, Vanderbilt found itself searching for a consistent second option and could not obtain consistent game-to-game production from its backcourt players to ease the burden on Edwards. With a bona fide second option in the backcourt, Mark Byington’s offense could reach a new level, and Edwards (assuming he returns) would thrive with defenses having to account for another consistent scorer.

Every contender remaining in the NCAA Tournament has a dynamic wing who can get to the rim. For all its changes in recent years, College Basketball is still played in the paint. In SEC play, Vanderbilt had to rely on guards Jason Edwards and AJ Hoggard to drive to the basket. Edwards’ size and Hoggard’s up-and-down play led to chaotic results in this area. Mark Byington’s offense relies on spacing and creating mismatches for the defense, particularly in transition. With a 6’6’ or taller wing who is a constant threat to drive to the hoop, the Commodores could be deadly in the half-court and the transition game. Defenses would have a difficult time accounting for a slashing wing, shooters, and Vanderbilt’s backcourt all at the same time.

Vanderbilt was one of the smallest teams in Power Four basketball this season. While Jaylen Carey and Devin McGlockton battled all season, neither is a traditional five or a true rim protector. Adding a seven-footer would do wonders for Vanderbilt’s interior defense. Another big or two would also help Vanderbilt generate more points in the paint. Imagine having a consistent lob threat every time the Commodores got on offense. Imagine pairing Carey or McGlockton, who are both extremely physical players, with another bigger body. Most SEC teams are three to four players deep when it comes to their bigs. With 6’10 freshman Jayden Leverett coming to West End, the Commodores could seriously boost their frontcourt by adding one or two more bigs.

Shooters are like good receivers and good corners in football, you can never have enough of them. The loss of Alex Hemenway to injury hurt the Commodores down the stretch this season. When Tyler Nickel and Edwards struggled with their outside shots, the Commodores had difficulty getting anything to go from beyond the arc. Multiple three-point shooters on the floor can wreak havoc on defenses, particularly in loud environments like Memorial Gymnasium. With Tyler Nickel likely to return, Vanderbilt adding another shooting threat would ease the stress on Byington’s offense and allow for better ball movement. With improved three-point shooting, Vanderbilt could have one of the better offenses in the SEC next season.

This off-season will be crucial for Vanderbilt Basketball to maintain its momentum and upward trajectory. With the SEC stronger than ever in basketball, Vanderbilt must find players who can create an immediate positive impact on the court. Byington was aggressive in the portal as soon as he was introduced as the Commodores’ head coach last season. Now that he’s settled in, fans are eager to see what Byington can do with a full offseason, solid NIL resources, and, most importantly, proof of concept. This is a position that Vanderbilt basketball has never been in in the modern era of college athletics and presents an important opportunity. Hopefully, the Commodores can capitalize on it.

What would you like to see Vanderbilt do this off-season? Let us know in the comments below.