🏈 College Football
Vanderbilt Commodores 2025 Season Preview
Vanderbilt finally flipped the script in 2024 winning 7 games, stunning Bama, and snapping a decade-long bowl drought. With Diego Pavia back, a loaded skill group, and a rebuilt O-line, the Commodores have the pieces. Now they just have to prove it wasn’t a one-year miracle.
One Bowl Win Doesn’t Change the Standard. Let’s See If It Was Real.
🧠 Key to the Season:
Don’t Be a One-Hit Wonder
Vanderbilt shocked the world last year going 7–6, beating Alabama, and winning their first bowl since 2013. But now comes the hard part: proving it wasn’t a fluke.
The Commodores were 4–1 in one-score games. They beat Bama, Virginia Tech, and Kentucky late. But they also lost close to Georgia State, Missouri, LSU, and Texas.
This year? Same quarterback. Same skill guys. New expectations.
Now they need to win with consistency, not just surprise.
💪 Key Player:
Diego Pavia, QB (Senior)
He won a lawsuit just to play this year — and he’s not wasting it.
Pavia passed for 2,293 yards and 20 TDs in 2024 and added 8 scores on the ground. He’s back for a “last dance” season with most of his weapons intact.
If Vanderbilt goes bowling again, it’ll be because Pavia carried them there.
🔁 Top Transfer Impact:
The Entire Offensive Line
Vandy’s line returns only one starter, but it’s not as scary as it sounds.
- Isaia Glass (Oklahoma State)
- Sterling Porcher (Texas Tech)
- Jordan White (Liberty)
- Bryce Henderson (South Dakota)
All are grad transfers. All started last year. If they mesh quickly, Pavia will have time to operate and the run game can carry weight.
📤 Biggest Returning Threats:
- Eli Stowers, TE – 6 rec for 113 yards vs Bama. Big, trusted target.
- Junior Sherrill, WR – Speed threat with upside.
- Sedrick Alexander, RB – Versatile back who found the end zone vs Alabama.
- Ja’Mori Maclin, WR – TD machine. Four last year.
- Seth McGowan, RB – Former OU back with 1,100 yards at New Mexico State last season.
This offense is stacked with proven weapons, and they all stayed.
📆 Key Game:
at Virginia Tech – September 6
Last year’s Vandy win in this matchup changed the season.
This year, it’s another early tone-setter. Win again in Blacksburg, and the bowl talk gets loud. Lose it, and that 7–6 season starts looking like smoke.
🔟 Top 10 Commodores to Know:
- Diego Pavia, QB – The heart of the turnaround.
- Eli Stowers, TE – Big body, big moments.
- Junior Sherrill, WR – Deep threat.
- Sedrick Alexander, RB – Slasher with SEC burst.
- Ja’Mori Maclin, WR – Reliable red zone guy.
- Isaia Glass, OT – Must anchor the new line.
- Yilanan Ouattara, DL – Physical presence up front.
- Alex Afari Jr., LB – Veteran leader of the middle.
- Jordan White, OL – Quietly one of the most important transfers.
- Martel Hight, DB – Underrated in the secondary.
📊 2024 Recap (and What It Means)
- First winning season since 2013
- Beat #1 Alabama — first-ever win over an AP top-5
- Allowed just 23.4 PPG (49th nationally)
- Lost 4 games by one score or less
Vanderbilt was closer to 10–2 than 2–10. But now they have to prove it wasn’t a lightning strike.
🧨 Unc’s Outlook
Let’s be clear: this isn’t the “scrappy doormat” version of Vandy.
They’ve got a veteran QB, a loaded skill group, and a portal-built O-line. If they clean up protection, this offense is top half of the SEC.
Defensively, the line returns experience. The back end is smart. And for the first time in years, there’s continuity on both sides of the ball.
Clark Lea and Steve Gregory have the foundation. Now it’s about finishing close games, taking another step — and daring the SEC to take them seriously.
🎯 The Call:
Win Total Projection: 6.0
Predicted Record: 6–6
They’re bowl-ready. But they’ll have to earn every inch.
🟢 Game Buckets:
Likely Wins:
- vs Charleston Southern
- vs Utah State
- vs Georgia State
Toss-Ups (50/50):
- at Virginia Tech
- vs Missouri
- vs Kentucky
- at South Carolina
- vs Auburn
Likely Losses:
- at Alabama
- at Texas
- vs LSU
- at Tennessee