Everything I liked (and didn’t like) after Vanderbilt football’s first preseason scrimmage

Vanderbilt football held its first preseason scrimmage Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.

It had a little bit of everything, with all six scholarship quarterbacks getting some reps. Based on the scrimmage, coach Clark Lea and offensive coordinator Tim Beck are hoping to cut down the competition from four — Diego Pavia, Nate Johnson, Blaze Berlowitz and Drew Dickey — to two. True freshmen Jeremy St-Hilaire and Whit Muschamp are expected to redshirt.

Because the scrimmage was closed to the public, media members were not allowed to share full statistics or specific plays. But the media was invited to view the scrimmage in its entirety and offer general takeaways.

Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

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Vanderbilt football scrimmage: What I liked

Sedrick Alexander’s speed

One play that stood out to Lea was one that didn’t actually count. Running back Sedrick Alexander had a long breakaway run that showcased his speed. The run “looked different,” according to Lea.

The play was called back due to a penalty; regardless, it revealed Alexander’s potential as Vanderbilt’s likely RB1 for 2024.

“I was just impressed with how he took off and ran away from us,” Lea said. “I don’t know that we had that gear last year, so it was good to see a guy that’s developed, and we think can be a really good player.”

Cole Spence

Throughout the preseason, Spence has emerged as a favorite target. Though the tight end hasn’t played much due to injury, he said he spent last season in meetings with the quarterbacks to build chemistry and become more familiar with the offense and reading coverages, a tip he got from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Although the offense Spence is operating within is new this year, it doesn’t seem like he has missed a…

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Author : The Tennessean

Publish date : 2024-08-11 10:02:57

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