16-in-16 2024: Vanderbilt Commodores
It’s a pivotal year in Nashville for Clark Lea on the heels of a 2-10 2023 season. Can the Commodores show some signs of life in 2024?
By: Hammer
For a refresher on our ratings system, check out our 16-in-16 ratings guide here.
Apologies to our swath of Vandy fans, but this will likely be the shortest 16-in-16 we post. There just isn’t a whole lot to say. We are entering year four of the Clark Lea era and it’s been pretty rough, which is not out of the ordinary in Nashville. Since taking over, Lea has gone 9-27 overall and 2-22 in SEC play. Not great, Bob.
State of the Program: 2/12 biscuits. It cannot get much worse; like a biscuit from a restaurant in the northeast, a true fraud.
Two of the three years Clark Lea has been at Vandy, they have failed to win a single SEC game. 9-27 overall is terrible, even at Vandy. The recruiting has been solid, but they are losing tons of guys to the portal. Plus, it doesn't seem like their stadium renovations will be complete for the 2024 season. Lea says all the right things and comes across as a good leader, but the results are bad. Not sure how much longer that will be tolerated in Nashville.
What went right in 2023?
Short answer, nothing. They went 2-10 with their only wins coming in the first two weeks of the season against Hawaii and Alabama A&M. The only other game they kept within one score was a 40-37 loss to UNLV. Every other one of Vandy’s nine losses was by at least two scores. So yeah, nothing went right for them.
What went wrong in 2023?
If nothing went right, then everything went wrong. The Commodores defense was ranked 129th in total defense, surrendering over 36 points and 454 yards per game. That especially stings as Lea is a defensive guy. The offense wasn't much better as Vandy only averaged 22.8 points and 318 yards per game. Yikes. Most of the offensive issues can be attributed to poor QB play and injuries. AJ Swann had a poor season and struggled with injuries before Ken Seals took the reins back. Both QBs hit the portal after the season to add insult to injury for Vandy. Simply put, just about everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Vandy in 2023.
What the Commodores need in 2024
A miracle. Is that harsh? Perhaps, but it feels like reality. To make any significant noise, they need a miracle. To simply improve and at least field a competitive team, Vandy needs some portal players to pan out. The Commodores took in 22 transfers this offseason and had 25 players leave. The two guys I will be watching the closest are the QBs. Nate Johnson transferred in from Utah and was rated as a 4-star transfer recruit. Additionally, Diego Pavia of New Mexico State fame transferred after spring (yes, the kid who went into Jordan Hare and led the NMSU to a 31-10 win over Auburn). Pavia can play ball. He’s tough as hell and brings the exact mentality Vandy needs: no fear. I’m not sure how he will fare week in and week out in the SEC, but the fact that he was brought in after spring makes me think he has a good chance to win this job. If he does, at least Vandy football will be entertaining because Pavia doesn’t hold anything back on the field. Obviously, Vandy needs a lot more help than just a competent QB in 2024, but we don’t have a day here.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
Win an SEC conference game and be competitive in the others. Just please, don’t go 0-8 in conference play again. I am begging you.
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