Can Drew Dickey win Vanderbilt's backup quarterback job? I The Anchor

Originally posted on Vanderbilt Commodores on SI
By Joey Dwyer | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:01 AM ET

If Clark Lea didn’t have guys like Drew Dickey, his program would be in a different place than it is now.

Dickey has seen the field in just one game and a few total snaps in his time at Vanderbilt–and hasn’t often won the backup job, either–but he’s paid his dues, has kept his head up and will earn a Vanderbilt degree this school year. He’s stuck it out through coaching changes, being passed up and being recruited over. He’s a program player in every sense of the word.

There were rumblings that Dickey had a hold on Vanderbilt’s backup job last fall, but when it came time to replace Vanderbilt starter Diego Pavia in blowouts, it was Utah transfer Nate Johnson that Vanderbilt turned to. Perhaps for the first time, this program player can find his way into true possession of the backup role in his senior season.

Dickey went 3-for-4 for 43 yards through the air in Vanderbilt’s spring game, but was considered to be outperformed by toolsy gunslinger Blaze Berlowitz throughout spring ball. Dickey’s final chance to become Pavia’s primary backup comes this fall as he looks to offset other quarterbacks’ more flashy skill sets with high-level decision making and a low turnover rate.