Takeaways From Vanderbilt Football's Friday Practice Ahead Of Saturday Scrimmage

NASHVILLE—With Saturday's second fall camp scrimmage looming, Vanderbilt football took the field on Friday morning in a relatively light practice with significantly more periods that weren't live than ones that weren't.

Vanderbilt entered Friday's practice coming off of a Thursday off day after a light Monday and Tuesday, but physical and lively Wednesday. Vanderbilt's Saturday scrimmage limited what happened Friday, but there was still plenty to take away.

Here's what was noteworthy on Friday.

What happens on third and long?

Vanderbilt football — Vanderbilt quarterback Blaze Berlowitz (1) drops back to pass during preseason practice at the school’s indoor facility Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The thought had to cross some in the building’s mind on Friday morning as Blaze Berlowitz continued a camp-long theme by hitting on all the layup throws, but didn’t push the ball down the field all that effectively. Berlowitz has demonstrated solid ball security through the last few days of camp, but he hasn’t been tested all that much.

So, what happens when Vanderbilt is in an obvious passing down and has to throw it downfield to keep a drive going? What happens when it’s playing from behind?

Those are the questions that indicate that Jared Curtis makes Vanderbilt’s offense significantly more dynamic. With Berlowitz, it’s likely going to be similar to the style that it was in 2024. That’s fine if Diego Pavia is the quarterback, but it may not be if someone else is.

Curtis appears to be taking more ownership of the offense

Curtis hasn’t lit it up recently, but he appears to be running the operation more cleanly these days and isn’t making quite as many poor decisions.

It does feel that Curtis has to fit the ball into smaller windows than Berlowitz does, which could be a product of play design or him holding it longer than Berlowitz. Vanderbilt’s receivers and tight ends are still adjusting to the velocity that the ball comes out of Curtis’ hand with, but he can fit balls into windows that others can’t.

What will determine how good Curtis is right away is how much his processing improves. It appears as if that’s trending in the right direction.

Standout list:

Jaylin Lackey: Lackey has stacked a few solid practices this week after a relatively quiet start to camp, and Friday was his best day yet. Lackey got his hands on a few balls and appears to be benefitting from his more muscular frame.

Bishop Starling: Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Steve Gregory admitted that Starling doesn’t necessarily look the part, but sent out a strong statement of belief in him on Friday. It’s easy to see why. Starling hasn’t been perfect–and is targeted often–but he’s held his own lately and is making plays on the ball. His development appears to be one that Vanderbilt should invest in moving forward.

Aaron Bryant: Bryant appeared to be in the backfield often on Friday and is showing signs that he could be more disruptive in 2026 than he was in 2025. Expect Bryant to record more than two tackles in 2026.

Clinton Azubuike: Azubuike isn’t a finished product, but he’s going to find his way onto the field in 2026 as a result of his outstanding physical tools and what appears to be more consistent production in practice.

Kevo Wesley: Wesley is going to get on the field after a hiatus from it, the question now is merely how much. He looks solid at this stage and appears to be in the mix to be a starter at guard, but Vanderbilt may not fully be settled there.

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