How Close Is Vanderbilt Football To Naming A Starting Quarterback? Clark Lea Answers
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NASHVILLE—Clark Lea won’t be in the Vanderbilt football facility on Sunday, and he doesn’t expect his staff to be. They’ll be with their families. They’ll be at church. They’ll be recharging after the end of Vanderbilt’s fall camp. But, they know a decision awaits them when they get back.
It sounds like the decision may be made in the next 72-to-96 hours.
Lea has managed an open quarterback competition since Vanderbilt signed five-star freshman Jared Curtis in December. Now, it’s finally nearing its end. Curtis and Vanderbilt veteran Blaze Berlowitz have given Vanderbilt all the information and tape that they need at this point. Now, it’s time for Lea and company to decide.
They’ll rest Sunday, but they won’t be able to get their minds off of what’s ahead. Monday, they’ll watch back Saturday’s scrimmage, bring all their thoughts to the table and work through every part of Vanderbilt’s depth chart. At the forefront of that discussion will be Vanderbilt’s depth chart at quarterback.
When could that discussion be over? Lea hoped it would be a week ago when Vanderbilt’s first scrimmage was over, but there wasn’t enough separation between Curtis and Berlowitz at that point. Lea could afford to kick the can down the road at that point, but he knows he can’t anymore. He knows he will have to make a decision, and quickly.
“I’m expecting to leave the office Monday night and at least know kind of where we’ll be depth chart wise when we hit the field on Wednesday,” Lea said Saturday night at the podium. “I expect that in my time with the team Tuesday we will have communicated roles with players.”
There it is, Lea plans to name a starting quarterback privately on Tuesday in Vanderbilt’s team room. As for where the decision is heading, Lea hasn’t quite tipped his hand. Private indications are that Curtis should be the odds-on favorite to win the job, but Vanderbilt’s depth chart at quarterback isn’t immediately clear based off of watching how Lea and Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck manage practice reps.
Through 15 days of fall camp, Vanderbilt’s offensive staff has given Curtis and Berlowitz every chance to separate and secure the job. Neither one has, and they’ll have to consider what positions them best moving forward. Lea said at SEC Media Days that he’s open to playing both quarterbacks, but he would rather have one dependable starter. In that starter, he’s laid out clear guidelines.
Lea says ball security is most important to him. He also labels the strength of the operation and playmaking ability as key factors in his decision-making process. More than all, Lea says he’s looking for the option that best positions Vanderbilt to win on September 5 against Austin Peay.
In Curtis and Berlowitz, Lea has two contrasting options. Curtis is the uber-talented freshman that can make any throw and gives Vanderbilt a more explosive offense than any other quarterback, but makes a fair number of freshman mistakes. Berlowitz is a better short-yardage game manager at this stage, but doesn’t give Vanderbilt much explosiveness and is still relatively turnover prone. There’s an argument to be made that Berlowitz gives Vanderbilt the best chance to win against Austin Peay, but Curtis clearly gives its 2026 season a higher ceiling if he’s the starter.
Saturday’s scrimmage all but proved that theory. Berlowitz’ offense moved up and down the field more than Curtis’ did, but Curtis made more standout throws, less bad ones and led more scoring drives–although a few were on the back of heavy run plays. Curtis also used his legs more effectively.
"You're kind of watching [Curtis] operate the offense tonight," Lea said. "It felt like he was at his best for the longest. And Blaze, I think Blaze has had an excellent training camp. He's day in and day out been really consistent, and he does some things tactically with the offensive scheme around him that gives us a chance."
Lea declared Saturday night that he sees growth in Curtis and that Berlowitz continues to play to his strengths. When he brings up watching Vanderbilt scrimmage film, he brings up that his staff has to account for the time it will take for Curtis to develop. He didn’t counter with any statement about Berlowitz.
Does that mean anything? Who knows. But, everyone on Vanderbilt's roster will in a few days.
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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