"It's Fun," Cole Spence Embracing Unselfishness, Blocking Role For Vanderbilt Football

Nashville–As Cole Spence left his media availability on the grass at Vanderbilt’s McGugin Center and made his way over to the turf, he was borderline giddy when he was asked to stop again.

When Spence has that reaction to a media request, it’s often in regards to sharing his faith and using his platform to spread the Gospel. This one was different, though. This was about football and an aspect of it that the Vanderbilt tight end doesn't get to talk about often.

Spence had an audible reaction when hearing that the direction he was about to have was heading towards blocking.

“I love blocking,” Spence told Vandy on SI. “It’s fun.”

The Vanderbilt tight end has become an honorary member of Vanderbilt offensive line coach Chris Klenakis’ Union–which is his name for his units–and has embraced putting his head down and moving defensive ends and linebackers in a way that’s unique relative to the rest of Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea’s tenure.

The Vanderbilt tight end was always a willing blocker, but appeared to be primarily a pass-catching tight end upon his arrival on Vanderbilt’s campus. Now his mindset towards blocking is paying dividends.

Spence said he “turned the corner” as a blocker last season after “not knowing” what he was doing as a result of being a product of a small private school rather than a football powerhouse. When the Georgia native arrived on Vanderbilt’s campus, he was “210-215” pounds trying to block defenders who were significantly heavier. As a sophomore, Spence put on significant size and weight, but suffered an ACL tear that held him out of the 2023 season.

Upon his return to the lineup and Beck’s hire ahead of the 2024 season, Spence says he refined his technique and put on muscle in order to “hold” his own heading into his senior season. It appears as if his progress has been noticeable.

“Last year when I got here he was coming along, but now he’s stronger,” Vanderbilt edge rusher Khordae Sydnor said. “He knows his blocks, his schemes, he knows what to do. He’s more savvy with it now. He’s coming along a lot. He’s getting way better.”

Perhaps this isn’t the role that Spence would’ve envisioned as he was often Vanderbilt’s leading receiver each day throughout fall camp, but it’s the hand he’s been dealt while playing alongside preseason First-Team All-American Eli Stowers in Tim Beck’s offense that is notoriously run heavy.

The Vanderbilt tight end could’ve opted to leave in favor of somewhere that would allow him to become more of a featured piece as a receiving-first tight end. Spence opted to stay without any guarantee of more targets than he got in 2024, though.

He’s also buying into the idea that his blocking is an important piece of Vanderbilt’s offense regardless of his target share.

“I think it’s less of an unselfishness and more of that I think it’s selfish to be like ‘oh, gosh, I really should be catching these passes,’” Spence said. “I think we’ve got a lot of pass catchers and rock runners who are doing an amazing job and I think last year the role that was required of me required more blocking. I’m not a greedy guy, I’m just gonna do what the team needs.”

The Vanderbilt tight end is an old guy now, has graduated and has gone through his fair share of press conferences over the years. He always knows what to say in order to avoid compromising anything around the building. He appears genuine in his lack of desire for personal spotlight, though.

Spence was clearly capable of more production than the 10 receptions and 101 receiving yards that he racked up in 2025 would indicate, but he says that his role is up to Beck and didn’t offer any suggestions on how that role could evolve.

As a result, don’t expect Spence to back down on the line of scrimmage in 2025.

“As a tight end we’re called to do both,” Spence said of blocking and pass catching. “So I just want to be the best at both that I can be.”