How Marlen Sewell Has Emerged as a Defensive Leader

The Vanderbilt safety was a captain on defense as a junior.

Vanderbilt safety Marlen Sewell (7) gestures after a missed Tennessee catch during the NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, November 25, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Vanderbilt certainly lost a lot of experience and contribution from the safety room at the end of last season. 

Former Commodore safeties CJ Taylor and De’Rickey Wright, a senior and graduate senior respectively, moved on after running out of college eligibility last season. As the two oldest safeties in the position room, the two combined for plenty of collegiate experience and were able to be a help to the newer guys.

Heading into this season, the Vanderbilt safety room is not as experienced and assistant safeties coach Melvin Rice knows it, acknowledging the safeties this season are “less experienced.” 

But just because there is not as much experience in the room does not negate the fact that there is still plenty of athleticism, skill and ability among the safeties this season.

“We got that lack of experience, but one thing that we got is more athleticism. We got everybody competing at a high level and that just elevates the room,” Rice said. “Every day if you don’t bring it, you have a possibility of falling down the rep chart.”

One person that does not just seem to bring it everyday, but also is able to fill in the open role for leadership after the departure of Taylor and Wright is Vanderbilt safety Marlen Sewell. Sewell, who is now a senior, is coming off a season with 20 tackles. As a captain last year, Sewell is hoping to be the anchor of the safety room and helping out the younger safeties improve their games.

“He’s one of the leaders on this team. You just hear his name everywhere,” Rice said.

One sign of his leadership being on display took place at a practice in which former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly attended practice last season and noticed Sewell taking charge of the defense and using his communication.

“The first person he [Kuechly] yelled out was Marlo [Marlen Sewell],” Rice said. “His communication, his awareness, he is a guy that gets the defense going.”

Sewell’s leadership has always been on full display. Now as the oldest in the safety room, Sewell may have more responsibility on his plate this year, but it does not seem like it is anything the former junior captain cannot handle. If Sewell sees his teammates getting complacent, Sewell has no problem calling them out.

“If we’re kind of moseying around, he will get those guys going. He’s a smart, dependable player. And you see a growth in him from last season to this season as far as execution,” Rice said. 

Outside of Sewell, the only safety that is older than a sophomore on the roster is Randon Fontenette. For Vanderbilt to have success both Sewell and Fontenette are going to need to fill the leadership holes that were left after last season.

For Sewell, keeping his teammates accountable when guys may start to settle for less than the standard demanded by the coaching staff is a good sign and it is really what fans want to see out of their team.