SEC FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 16 OF 16
2026 Season Snapshot • Nashville, Tennessee
10-3 (6-2 SEC)
SEC
Live schedule, lines and results for Vanderbilt.
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HEAD COACH
Clark Lea — 6th season at Vanderbilt
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
26–33 at Vanderbilt (climbing: 2-10, 5-7, 2-10, 7-6, 10-3)
Endured three brutal rebuilding years (2-10, 5-7, 2-10) before the program's trajectory flipped after hiring OC Tim Beck and landing transfer QB Diego Pavia in 2024. 2025 delivered a program-record 10 wins, a win over Alabama, and a first-ever CFP-poll top-15 finish.
VANDERBILT ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 10-3 (6-2 SEC), 8th nationally in scoring (38.5 ppg), capped by a disappointing bowl loss. Vanderbilt beat Tennessee for the first time since 2018 and finished 14th in the final CFP poll, 15th AP.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$3.19M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per Yahoo Sports' 2026 SEC coaching salary rankings (USA Today database), among the lowest of any Power 4 head coach despite Vanderbilt's 2025 breakthrough season. Vanderbilt has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Tim Beck — 3rd season • High-octane spread
The architect of Vanderbilt's turnaround, having brought Diego Pavia with him from New Mexico State in 2024. Now hands the offense to five-star true freshman Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt's highest-rated QB signee ever and a player Lea compares stylistically to Matthew Stafford.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Steve Gregory — 3rd season • Multiple
Lea, himself a respected defensive mind, remains heavily involved. The unit returns key front-seven pieces (Miles Capers, Khordae Sydnor) and adds Alabama and Texas transfers for depth — a defense with a chance to take a real step forward with more continuity and experience.
2025 RECORD
10–3 (6–2 SEC)
Program-record 10 wins; beat Tennessee for the first time since 2018 and finished 14th in the final CFP poll (15th AP) despite a disappointing bowl loss. The signature season of the Clark Lea era to date.
HOME FIELD
FirstBank Stadium
Artificial turf (Shaw Sports Legion 46), Nashville. A smaller, historically quieter SEC venue that has taken on real juice since the 2024 upset of then- No. 1 Alabama — a home crowd now genuinely capable of springing an upset.
| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Jared Curtis | Fr | ★★★★★ | Five-star true freshman, Vanderbilt's highest-rated QB signee ever (a program that once produced Jay Cutler); frontrunner for the job over senior Blaze Berlowitz, though Lea says he won't name a starter until days before Week 1. |
| RB1 | Sedrick Alexander | Sr | ★★★★★ | Unanimous three-star signee (2023); needs to improve on a modest 3.4 ypc average in 2025, but the proven, senior-experience choice over explosive junior MK Young. |
| WR1 | Junior Sherrill | Sr | ★★★★★ | Broke out in 2025 (54 rec, 784 yds, 7 TD), shedding a "gadget player" label to become the go-to target; now the clear WR1 for a new quarterback. |
| WR2 | Ja'Cory Thomas | — | ★★★★★ | Old Dominion transfer (719 yds, 5 TD in 2025) brought in specifically to replace departed deep threat Tre Richardson. |
Five-star true freshman, Vanderbilt's highest-rated QB signee ever (a program that once produced Jay Cutler); frontrunner for the job over senior Blaze Berlowitz, though Lea says he won't name a starter until days before Week 1.
Unanimous three-star signee (2023); needs to improve on a modest 3.4 ypc average in 2025, but the proven, senior-experience choice over explosive junior MK Young.
Broke out in 2025 (54 rec, 784 yds, 7 TD), shedding a "gadget player" label to become the go-to target; now the clear WR1 for a new quarterback.
Old Dominion transfer (719 yds, 5 TD in 2025) brought in specifically to replace departed deep threat Tre Richardson.
| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line largely rebuilt | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Just 1 returning starter with no multi-game experience back; 2 additional projected starters arrive via the 2026 portal class — real turnover protecting a true freshman QB. |
Just 1 returning starter with no multi-game experience back; 2 additional projected starters arrive via the 2026 portal class — real turnover protecting a true freshman QB.
| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Capers | DL | Returning key contributor anchoring a front seven with real continuity into 2026. |
| Khordae Sydnor | DL | Returning key contributor; part of the defense's clearest strength entering the season. |
| Keanu Koht | DL | Alabama transfer added for depth and pass-rush juice. |
Returning key contributor anchoring a front seven with real continuity into 2026.
Returning key contributor; part of the defense's clearest strength entering the season.
Alabama transfer added for depth and pass-rush juice.
| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Heard | S | ★★★★★ | FAU transfer who started all 13 games in 2025 and tied for the team lead with 71 tackles; top returning piece anchoring the safety room after Randon Fontenette's transfer to Colorado. |
| Martel Hight | CB | ★★★★★ | Former three-star signee (2023); 2024 Second-Team All-SEC as a returner, back for his senior season as the room's top corner. |
FAU transfer who started all 13 games in 2025 and tied for the team lead with 71 tackles; top returning piece anchoring the safety room after Randon Fontenette's transfer to Colorado.
Former three-star signee (2023); 2024 Second-Team All-SEC as a returner, back for his senior season as the room's top corner.
2025 ATS
10-3
76.9% cover rate — 3rd of 82
2025 Straight up
10-3
Point differential +203
Scoring environment
61.3
Combined points per game — 5th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
6-1 · 4-1
Totals 9-4 O/U (5-2 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
38.5 per game scored (5th) · 22.8 allowed (36th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +15.6 (9th) · Strength of schedule +0.4
SRS power rating
+13
11th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+14.8
4th of 82
Defensive SRS
+2.6
38th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+15.6 · 9th of 82
Against the spread
10-3 (76.9%) · 3rd of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
61.3 · 5th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Saved Just J research for Vanderbilt.
Diego Pavia (Heisman runner-up, program passing records) is gone, replaced by a true freshman — the exact kind of "regression candidate" spot after a program's best season ever, especially early in the year.
He told media directly "there are also important differences" from the 2025 team — a rare coach publicly tempering expectations, worth weighing against the market's likely optimism after a 10-win year.
68% of defensive snaps return per roster metrics, with the front seven and linebackers largely intact — the clearer strength to lean on while the offense retools around a true freshman QB.
New line + true freshman QB is a real combination of variance — worth tracking pass-protection numbers closely in the first month before trusting Vanderbilt's passing game in tougher matchups.
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