Vanderbilt Commodores Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
Vanderbilt Commodores Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Vanderbilt season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Vanderbilt Commodores Preview
Head Coach: Clark Lea, 2-10, 2nd year at Vanderbilt
2021 Preview: Overall: 2-10, Conference: 0-8
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Vanderbilt Top 10 Players | Vanderbilt Schedule & Analysis
Vanderbilt Commodores Preview 2022
So the first year under head coach Clark Lea was … rough.
It was a 2-10 run that started with a blowout loss to East Tennessee State, came way too close to being 0-12 – no SEC team should’ve beaten 2021 UConn by anything less than 30; it was a 30-28 victory – and it was a tough watch from beginning to end.
However, Lea can coach defense – that’s how he made his reputation – and he can recruit.
The 2022 recruiting class might not seem like much to most SEC teams, but it was a top 40ish overall haul full of a slew of very promising players who should see time right away. That’s where the improvement is about to come – the talent level is better.
This isn’t a totally impossible situation, but the SEC has become unfairly awesome, and now it’s up to Vanderbilt to find a niche.
It might be on defense, and with a tough running game, and with a team that will be physical on both sides of the ball.
Nothing massive will happen overnight, but the 2022 team will be better. That’s a start.
Vanderbilt Commodores Preview 2022: Offense
The offense needs something it can rely on.
It was a struggle to move the ball, score, everything – it scored 17 points or fewer six times and only came up with more than 24 twice. The offense averaged just 313 yards and 16 points per game, with nothing happening down the field.
There’s experience, and it starts with an offensive front that has to generate a better push. It wasn’t bad in pass protection, and there were moments for the ground attack.
The best blocker of the bunch – left tackle Tyler Steen – is gone to Alabama, but Jacob Brammer from North Texas will help, and three starters are back starting with veteran center Julian Hernandez.
The backs are fine. Re’Mahn Davis was great as a freshman at Temple, but he missed time in 2020 and only played three games last year. When he’s right, he’s a potential difference maker to go along with 2021’s leading rusher Rocko Griffin.
Can the offense settle on a steady quarterback? Mike Wright led the team with eight touchdown passes, Ken Seals led the way with 1,181 yards and now both are back. Seals isn’t much on the move and Wright can run, but the former will likely get the start.
The receiving corps gets back second-leading receiver Will Sheppard – he was one of the better downfield threats – but Cam Johnson is gone to Arizona State and leading target Chris Pierce is done. The recruiting class will play a huge role – at least that’s the hope.
Vanderbilt Commodores Preview 2022: Defense
The defense fought the good fight.
It was the worst D in the SEC in both scoring and total yards allowed, but it wasn’t awful on third downs, it didn’t break quite enough to to be totally destroyed in every game, and it had a decent pass rush.
Georgia rolled at will, Florida did whatever it wanted, and Mississippi State threw for a bazillion yards, but the stats don’t quite tell the whole story – the offense didn’t give the other side a lick of help.
It’s an experienced group returning – helped with a few transfers – but the depth is very, very, very young. There will be growing pains, but this D should be stronger.
The Commodores have a playmaker in Anfernee Orji, who led the team in tackles and tackles for loss, and coming to help in the middle is Kane Patterson from Clemson to go along with second-leading tackler Ethan Barr.
Barr tied for the team lead with three picks, and now the secondary has to do a whole lot more. Maxwell Worship is a strong-tackling safety, and Jeremy Lucien is coming in from UConn to take over one of the starting corner jobs. This group can hit, but it has to break up more passes.
Even with DT Raashaan Wilkins going to Illinois, the line should be a strength if the starting group can stay healthy. Nate Clifton and Malik Langham are big bodies, but they have to get into the backfield more.
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Vanderbilt Top 10 Players | Vanderbilt Schedule & Analysis
Vanderbilt Commodores: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
Vanderbilt Commodores: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Vanderbilt Commodores: Key To The 2022 Offense
Run the ball well enough to matter.
The Commodores were awful at consistently getting the passing game going down the field, and there wasn’t anything happening on a regular basis. However, there were times, even in losses, when the offense was able to hammer away.
For all the problems and issues, Vanderbilt ran for over 200 yards three times and managed top los through here and there in other games – but it didn’t happen enough.
Get to over four yards per carry – the team ran for 3.5 – score in the red zone when there are chances, and push past 150 yards a game on the ground. The O has to control games once in a while.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Key To The 2022 Defense
Take the ball away even more.
No, the offense didn’t give the defense a whole lot to work with, but the flip side was also true. The D didn’t give the O a whole lot of breaks, either, with takeaways and shorter fields.
The defense had a stretch when it was forcing turnovers. In the middle of the season it came up with ten takeaways in four games, but those were the only four times when it came up with multiple turnovers.
There were only three fumble recoveries, and two came in the 21-20 close call loss to South Carolina, and the third didn’t come until the regular season finale.
Vanderbilt didn’t lose the turnover battle all that often, but it only one it once, and that was against the Gamecocks. It has to be on the plus side more often than not.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Key Player To The 2022 Season
QB Ken Seals, Jr.
Or Mike Wright, or freshman AJ Swann. It wasn’t really the fault of the quarterbacks that the offense didn’t move, but the play certainly wasn’t strong enough to make a difference.
No one’s asking for Bryce Young, but Seals has to hit more downfield passes, Wright has to be a bit more accurate overall, and they both have to limit the interceptions. To be fair, they had to press, but no matter who owns the job the production has to be there.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Key Transfer
OT Jacob Brammer, Sr.
There a shot Vanderbilt comes up with a strong line that turns into a positive as the season goes on. There’s experience and the spots should be set, but someone has step in for Tyler Steen, the likely new Alabama starting left tackle.
Gunnar Hansen might be ready to take over, but it would be a huge help if the 6-4, 301-pound Brammer turned into an instant answer for a spot on the front five. The former top blocker for North Texas was a two-time All-Conference USA right tackle.
Vanderbilt Key Game To The 2022 Season
at Hawaii, Aug. 27
It’s a business trip, but going to Hawaii isn’t a bad thing no matter what. This should be an easy win for the SEC team, right?
East Tennessee State 23, Vanderbilt 3 – that was the 2021 season opener.
Vanderbilt has lost its last three opening games, two wins over Middle Tennessee and one over Miami University have been the only fun the team has had to start a season against an FBS team since 2005.
Win this, and with Elon to follow there’s a shot at a 2-0 start to match 2021’s win total by the evening of September 3rd.
Vanderbilt Commodores: 2021 Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 134 – Vanderbilt 29
– Sacks: Opponents 27 for 171 yards – Vanderbilt 9 for 73 yards
– Penalties: Opponents 91 for 803 yards – Vanderbilt 66 for 508 yards
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Vanderbilt Top 10 Players | Vanderbilt Schedule & Analysis
Vanderbilt Commodores Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
Vanderbilt Commodores Season Prediction, What Will Happen
The team will be a little better, the offense a little more consistent, and overall the competitiveness will be there in more games.
The Commodores managed to only beat Colorado State and UConn – and both games were close, and only one of the ten losses was by fewer than nine points.
There’s a good combination of experienced starters to form the foundation, and a whole lot of good young recruits who’ll try to take jobs right away. It might not always be smooth, but this is a team and this will be a season to set things up for the near future.
Set The Vanderbilt Commodores Regular Season Win Total At … 3.5
Beating Hawaii on the road and taking down Elon is a must – there might not be a whole lot of fun after that.
If would be nice to have a total layup non-conference game against an FBS team, but dates against Wake Forest and at Northern Illinois are both rough.
Anyone from the SEC West would be a tough matchup, but at Alabama and Ole Miss – forget it.
However, there’s a shot at beating Northern Illinois, and the program is WAY overdue for an upset over an SEC team for the first time since taking down Missouri in the middle of 2019.
Four wins would be a strong next step up season. Anything more than that would phenomenal.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Vanderbilt Top 10 Players | Vanderbilt Schedule & Analysis
