Spring Practice kicks off during the first week of March for many SEC teams. Vanderbilt isn’t one of them, though. Instead, the Commodores got an early jump on their spring drills by opening camp on Feb. 22.
Vanderbilt’s decision is justified coming off back-to-back losing seasons, although 2015 brought a glimmer of hope with second-year coach Derek Mason earning his first two conference victories. Still, there are several areas where the Commodores need to improve this offseason. Here’s a look into Vanderbilt’s spring practice and what to watch for.
Finding stability at quarterback
Kyle Shurmur took over as Vanderbilt’s starting quarterback late in its season and earned two SEC wins against Missouri and Kentucky. He threw for multiple touchdowns in two appearances and posted season-highs with 209 yards and three touchdowns against Tennessee in his final appearance as a true freshman. Shurmur can provide Vanderbilt with something its lacked in both of Mason’s two seasons: stability at quarterback. The Commodores had a roulette of passers in 2014 and made more than 10 changes midway through the season. But that will change if the former 4-star prospect can live up to his potential and hold on to the starting job.
Skill Positions on offense
Ralph Webb is one of the most underrated players in the SEC. He recorded a freshman school record 907 yards in 2014 and 1,152 in 2015, which ranked fifth in the conference and is the third highest total among returning backs. But that’s where it ends for Vanderbilt. The Commodores have seen little consistency from other backs or wide receivers. Trent Sherfield led Vanderbilt with 659 yards and three touchdowns on 51 receptions. Caleb Scott added 339 yards and two touchdowns on 24 catches. Both players could see more targets as juniors with Shurmur looking to find his consistency as a sophomore. But as of now, there isn’t enough reason to get excited about the Commodores’ skill players aside from Webb.
New offensive line coach
Cameron Norcoss was named Vanderbilt’s new offensive line coach in January after spending time at Nevada and Fresno State. Norcoss’ philosophy is for his linemen to be “right on the edge” according to the Tennessean.
“The big thing with him is that we’re going to be aggressive in everything we do,” offensive lineman Andrew Jelks, who returns from a 2015 torn ACL, told the newspaper. “He wants us up front to be labeled as aggressive types that will hit you in the mouth every play.”
Keeping its defense strong
AP Photo
If there’s one thing Mason knows, it’s defense. He gained national acclaim as one of the nation’s best defensive coordinators while at Stanford before joining Vanderbilt in January 2014.
His decision to be his own coordinator has paid off thus far with the Commodores ranking sixth in the conference in total defense, which would have been higher had their offense been capable of getting off the field.
It’s clear that Vanderbilt’s defense is developing at a faster pace and should continue that success in 2016. Nigel Bowden is one of the SEC’s best returning inside linebackers and has been dominant since taking over as a starter in 2014.
Mason is still trying to “trim down” his defensive playbook, according to the Tennessean, to see his more athletic players excel at full speed. The newspaper also reported that Mason will use a 3-4 scheme that only has four base calls and four additional nickel packages during spring practice.
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