Vanderbilt Football Top 20 Player Rankings: No. 3
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NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt football is in a new era under head coach Clark Lea as it moves forward after a program-best 10-3 season, but does so while replacing star quarterback Diego Pavia and star tight end Eli Stowers.
Lea and company believe that the program can move forward as winners, though, and the amount of experience they bring back is at the forefront of the reasons why.
Lea has the 34th most experienced offense in the country, the No. 4 defense in the country, is No. 2 in game experience in the country and No. 12 in returning starts.
“Just in terms of quality depth, I mean, this is probably the best team we've had,” Lea told Vandy on SI. “Obviously, we have some big gaps to fill, and some of those gaps were our production leaders from a year ago, but I like this team. I like where we are.”
This Vanderbilt team doesn’t appear to have the elite names at the top of the roster that Lea’s 2025 team did, but he believes he’s got a capable group at every level.
In Vandy on SI’s top 20 players list, all three phases will be represented, as well as every offensive and defensive position group.
No. 3: Beau Johnson
Johnson is the program’s biggest transfer addition in that he plays a premium position and would have been Vanderbilt’s second-highest graded offensive lineman if he were a member of the program a year ago.
In Johnson, Vanderbilt has a steady tackle that will be essential in platforming whichever first-year starting quarterback chooses to start to be successful.
Vanderbilt offensive line coach Chris Klenakis says Johnson is a “blue collar” worker that isn’t flashy, but is steady and consistent. In some ways, that may be the story of his career on West End.
“I just put my head down and keep working,” Johnson said during the spring. “That’s how I roll, that’s how I grind. It’s how I do my business.”
Lea and Klenakis brought Johnson in to play and be a real difference maker. Vanderbilt invested heavily in Johnson this offseason, and expects to get its money’s worth.
Why No. 3?
Johnson is particularly valuable in that he’s a veteran that sures up one of Vanderbilt’s most important positions and has a track record that demonstrates he’s impactful.
There’s still room for Johnson to struggle with the transition from the FCS to the SEC, but his physical traits and body of work indicate that Vanderbilt has something here.
Johnson is one of the few Vanderbilt players that may be elite at his position.
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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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