Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, offensive lineman Gunnar Hansen, linebacker Langston Patterson, and safety C.J. Taylor are in Dallas to represent the Commodores at SEC Media Days this week.
There isn’t much expected from a program with just three winning seasons since 1982 (7-6 in 2008, 9-4 in 2012 and 2013), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anticipation surrounding the Commodores, especially on offense.
Searching for Vanderbilt’s first winning season in over a decade, what questions should Lea expect to face at SEC Media Days?
Three Most Significant Questions for Clark Lea at SEC Media Days
1) Who Is the Starting Quarterback?
A telltale sign that a QB competition is ensuing is the absence of a signal-caller representing the team at media days. This is the case for the Commodores after two starters from last season entered the transfer portal — Ken Seals to TCU as a grad transfer and A.J. Swann to LSU for his junior year. Each player started six games in a 2-10 season for Vandy in 2023.
Clark secured two QBs in the transfer portal, bringing in Diego Pavia from New Mexico State and Nate Johnson from Utah.
Pavia started 25 games for the Aggies, including 15 last season, throwing for 2,973 yards on 60.4% completion, 26 touchdowns to nine interceptions, with another 923 yards and seven scores on the ground. Johnson started three games for the Utes last year, throwing for 499 yards, three TDs, no picks, with 235 yards and four scores rushing.
While it’s assumed the upper hand belongs to Pavia, the 2023 CUSA Offensive Player of the Year who won an NJCC National Championship at NMMI and then led NMSU to consecutive bowl games, a starter hasn’t been named between the two. Pavia had to wait to join the team until this summer, while Johnson, a sophomore, participated in the Commodores’ spring practice.
2) Can New OC Tim Beck Replicate his Scheme in the SEC?
Another reason Pavia is the front-runner for the starting job is his OC at New Mexico State the last two years, Tim Beck, joins him in Nashville in charge of the Commodores offense.
As part of Jerry Kill’s NMSU staff, Beck improved the Aggies from one of the worst offenses in CUSA to second in the conference in total offense last year, averaging 412.7 combined yards and 27.5 points per game in 2023.
Beck and Pavia did a fine job, but now they have to try to make it work at a much higher level in the SEC. The Commodores will absolutely need it to succeed if they want to break their streak of losing seasons.
3) Is Strength of Schedule a Concern?
As if things weren’t tough enough for Vandy, they are headed towards the ninth-toughest slate of opponents according to CFN’s 2024 strength of schedule metric.
The SEC is now 16 teams deep, all of whom are playing eight conference games and at least one Power Four opponent in non-conference action. The Commodores will face SEC newcomer Texas in Nashville on October 26.
SEC Media Days Schedule: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Head Coach
- Date: Monday, July 15
- Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
- How to watch: SEC Network+
Pavia, listed at 6’0″, 200 pounds, is the likely starter. He has proven to be a winner at every level he has competed at, but now he has reached the pinnacle level of the college game in the SEC. He’ll have to overcome fiercer competition for a program that hasn’t had much success, even with a proud alum and former Commodores fullback — Lea — at the helm.
Fortunately, Pavia will have a familiar face with him running the offense with Beck.
Whether it translates to wins depends on a plethora of factors. Still, the Commodores offense should at least be a little more exciting with Beck and Pavia after Vandy finished dead-last in total offense (319.0 yards per game) and second-to-last in scoring offense (22.8 points per game) in the SEC last year.
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