As he seeks to improve Vanderbilt’s defense for the 2025 season, coach Clark Lea knows he can count on at least a couple of key assets. One is a familiar scheme. The other is familiar faces.

Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Steve Gregory may have taken over the defensive coordinator title, but on select days you can still see Clark Lea out around the 20-yard line at FirstBank Stadium shuffling his feet and instructing Vanderbilt’s defensive ends or taking a player into his office to instruct them on how to improve.

Pavia is one of seven returning starting quarterbacks in the SEC (Blake Shapen, Garrett Nussmeier, Lanorris Sellers, DJ Lagway, Taylen Green, and Marcel Reed). While Vanderbilt might have one of the hardest climbs in the conference, there is a newfound belief in the building.

With a rematch set in November between Texas and Vanderbilt, what did members of the Commodores say at SEC media days?

Vanderbilt football has begun to assemble its 2026 recruiting class. The Commodores are hoping to build off a strong 7-6 season in 2024 in a way they couldn't with their 2025 class, which ranked just 77th nationwide. The majority of the players in that ...

The broader role will mark a return to two-way production for a player who shined in high school in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver. Hight played both safety and cornerback and was a starter on offense for Rome (Ga.) as a three-star prospect. He signed with Vanderbilt in 2023 as the No. 49 cornerback in the class.

Under the bright lights of SEC Media Day, the Vanderbilt head coach took a moment to reflect on the impact Elko had on his young coaching career.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/vanderbilt as Clark Lea Provides Positive Injury Update on AJ Newberry. Watching a Vanderbilt spring practice in 2025 often provided a look at all the reasons that Vanderbilt football had to be optimistic about what was ahead, but left a question unanswered.