Commodores Looking for Leaders, Others to fill Roles for 2020 Season
When Vanderbilt opened spring football practice Tuesday morning there were many questions facing head coach Derek Mason and his new offensive and defensive coordinators Todd Finch and Tedd Roof.
The biggest questions must be answered by the way the players compete and perform on the field, but it is up to these three men and the rest of this staff to prepare them to compete at an SEC level.
Of those questions, who will fill the role and become the starting quarterback for the Commodores is the one most discussed and one that might not be answered until the very last days before September's season opener against Mercer.
There are four candidates vying for the starting role with two already on campus and in practice while the other two will arrive this summer.
One candidate jumped off the page on the opening days of spring training and has at least a slight lead heading into day three of spring.
Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Ken Seals (8) throws a pass during spring practice while fellow QB Jeremy Mussa (6) red jersey to the right looks on.
Ken Seals, the true freshman from Weatherford, Tx. entered Vanderbilt with a laundry list of accomplishments to his credit as a high school football player in the football-crazy state of Texas. He even has his own fan club in the Dallas area, many of whom are very vocal on social media as to their belief in Seals.
Seals does not lack for confidence, one conversation with him tells you that, and his goal is to take the first snap of the 2020 season as a true freshman quarterback for the Commodores.
"Absolutely! I have the confidence in myself that I'm going to be able to do that and put up a very good case for myself to be out there week one against Mercer, said Seals in a phone interview with Commodores Country in December 2019. "We'll have to see how it goes of course, but I'm planning on being out there and I'm going to prepare like it."
After seeing Seals work in practice there are a few things that, while still very early on in his college career are easily visible about the quarterback.
1)Leadership: It has already been written and shared on social media how Seals took a receiver to task for not running the wrong route during day one of spring practice. All true, but there was more than that when watching him work.
Not only is he stepping into a leadership role necessary to play quarterback, but he is leading by example of being out in front for drills and by communicating with multiple players and seems to be building a solid rapport with Finch.
2) Passing: Seals throws a very catchable ball, sometimes it seemed a bit heavy and hard with too much zip, but oftentimes showing perfect touch and placement of his throws.
Granted most anyone can look good against air, and we will certainly learn more about his passing when he faces his first scrimmage leading up to the spring game, but so far things are trending in a positive direction.
3) Movement: Coaches have not spent a lot of time with Seals on his footwork to this point, likely because he has spent time working with quarterback coaches to get that part of his game down. He looked comfortable moving around in team periods and only have one bad exchange with his centers.
Make no mistake, there is competition still to take place when Jeremy Mussa, who is participating in spring practice but limited with an ankle issue along with Danny Clark and Michael Wright's arrival this summer, but being the only healthy scholarship quarterback to this point is allowing Seals to impress his coaches and get extra reps in practice that should give him a slight edge going into the season.
What remains to be seen his what he will do with his lead, and just how much ground the others can make up when they get their chance.
“Again, it’s just the first day,” Mason said on Tuesday after the first day of spring practice. “On the first day, we’re just trying to make sure guys are in the right places (and) doing the right things.”
Regardless, the quarterback battle will be a fun one and will likely not be finished even into the first few games of the season as Mason, Finch & company will look to find the player capable of doing the things they want and producing at a level that can bring the Commodores out of the basement in the Southeastern Conference in 2020.
