Vanderbilt will look to bounceback after a 2-10 season in 2023.
Here's a look at a few position groups where Vanderbilt projects to be better, worse and unsure in 2024.
Where Vanderbilt projects to be better:
The secondary
At the top of Vanderbilt's list of weaknesses in 2023 was its secondary.
Another year under the collective belts of Martel Hight, Trudell Berry and Tyson Russell as well as the addition of first team all-Big Sky corner Marlon Jones Jr. and toolsy Wyoming corner Kolby Taylor seem to put the Commodores' cornerback room in a better spot under newly-promoted cornerbacks coach Jamaal Richardson.
At safety, the Commodores will lose De'Rickey Wright, Jaylen Mahoney and Savion Riley but add highly-touted freshman Dontae Carter as well as TCU transfer and former four-star recruit Randon Fontenette. Perhaps senior safety Marlen Sewell will step into a bigger role, as well.
Carter's high school teammate and fellow freshman Alvin Williamson also looks to contribute on the backend.
Where new safeties coach Melvin Rice's best addition comes from is within his own defense, though.
CJ Taylor, who started at Anchor last season is expected to move to boundary safety.
The defensive line
Vanderbilt hindered its secondary by not getting nearly enough pressure on the quarterback in 2023. That will have to change in 2024.
Despite losing its sack leader in Nate Clifton, it feels as if the Commodores' pass rush may be improved.
That starts with its homegrown nucleus of Darren Agu, Yilanan Ouattara, Miles Capers, BJ Diakite, Devin Lee as well as a few other pieces gaining a year of experience but is also helped by an experienced transfer class.
Aeneas DiCosmo will also return to Vanderbilt, per the spring ball roster.
The commodores add MTSU transfer Zaylin Wood as well as Purdue transfer Khordae Snydor. The pair has played six years of college football combined and have each registered a season with at least four sacks.
Vanderbilt doesn't have a Dallas Turner or a Chris Braswell but it should be better at least marginally better on the defensive line in 2024.
Where Vanderbilt projects to be worse:
Wide receiver
When you lose Will Sheppard, London Humphreys and Jayden McGowan it feels like you're climbing an uphill battle to improve at the position.
Vanderbilt will return Quincy Skinner, Junior Sherrill and Richie Hoskins while adding high-upside Ole Miss transfer Jeremiah Dillon as well as Texas Tech transfer Loic Fouonji. Both transfers still have plenty to prove, though.
Dillon has significant physical tools at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds and was a four-star recruit coming as a high schooler but didn't play a snap at Ole Miss before entering the portal. Dillon's speed seems to be a fit in Tim Beck's offense, though.
Fouonji had a productive 2022 season in which he caught 34 balls for 451 yards and three touchdowns but took a step back in 2023 with just six catches for 85 yards. The Texas Tech transfer has a useful frame at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds but will have to put together a bounceback year this season.
Vanderbilt could also get some contributions from its talented freshman class of Markeis Barrett, Joseph McVay and Tristen Brown.
The Commodores losing Sheppard, Humphreys and McGowan hurts, so does the decommitment of transfer receiver Kisean Johnson. It feels as if the talent level at the position is down as opposed to last season. Perhaps Beck can better utilize the receiver room, though.
Up in the air:
Quarterback
It's yet to be seen whether Vanderbilt is better or worse at quarterback. The Commodores are different there, though.
It's no longer the AJ Swann show with experienced backup Ken Seals in the mix. That group was talented but didn't produce enough in 2023, as a result Vanderbilt has opted to go with more mobile, versatile quarterbacks in Nate Johnson, Diego Pavia and Blaze Berlowitz.
The Commodores didn't seem to get what they needed out of the position in SEC play last season but perhaps Beck's scheme that more heavily utilizes quarterback runs.
Johnson has tremendous talent and was a highly-touted prospect as a high schooler but hasn't fully proven himself as a downfield thrower at the college level. Pavia and Berlowitz will also have to prove it at a significantly higher level than they did in Conference USA.
