How Skill-Position Speed Could be a Difference Maker for Vanderbilt This Season

Vanderbilt turned a lot of corners this offseason. They got deeper. Stronger. But perhaps most of all – they got faster. Much faster. And if anything stood out in Saturday’s win against Charleston Southern, it was that speed differential.  

Not many people expected true freshman Kayleb Barnett – listed third on the depth chart in the slot behind Richie Hoskins and Tristen Brown – to see much action in week 1. But there he was on Vanderbilt’s third offensive play of the season, catching a touch pass from Diego Pavia and running for 13 yards. A similar play call that went to the Oklahoma native just five snaps later ended in the first Commodore touchdown of the season.  

"[Barnett]’s got elite speed, elite twitch,” head coach Clark Lea said postgame. “He can create problems when he gets the ball in space, and we benefited from that tonight.” 

Barnett’s blazing speed is certainly his calling card. Perhaps his appearance on the field so early in the game says something about Tim Beck's new-look offense. They can beat you in the trenches. They can beat you in the middle of the field. But they can also beat you from outside the numbers with jet-sweeps, screen-passes and deep balls that make the offense more multi-dimensional than it’s been in a while.  

Vanderbilt’s offense was dynamic at times last year, largely due to Pavia’s mobility and Beck’s unique play calling. But this season its personnel looks different. It’s not just Barnett. Washburn transfer Tre Richardson – who found holes in the secondary throughout the evening – brings a new element to the offense himself. Richardson ran a 10.33-second 100-meter time in junior college, which was obviously evident in his game-leading five receptions. 

“There’s some really good catch and run [with Richardson],” Lea said. “He can hit the gas and get vertical, too.” 

Real in-game speed is an element of Beck’s offense that lacked at times last year. You could certainly say they were missing true burners at wide receiver. Players that could break free down the field at any moment. Ones that could catch a screen, break a tackle, and run 20 yards before the defense blinks. But Barnett and Richardson along with sophomore receiver Tristen Brown appear to have filled that void, giving the Commodores gadget options that can be used in a multitude of different formations. 

It goes further than just the receivers, though. Not every tight end can outrun a safety in man coverage to catch a wheel route like Eli Stowers did in the first quarter for a 41-yard gain. But the fact that Stowers – who is perhaps the fastest tight end in the SEC – can do just that, opens up the entire field for Beck and Pavia to do their thing. 

The speed was evident in the backfield as well, and while Sedrick Alexander might not be the most explosive running back in the SEC, he sure looked quick when he broke open for a 26-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. M.K. Young complemented Alexander and brought a speedy element to the backfield, bouncing several runs outside the numbers, including a 15-yard pop in the fourth quarter. Young also broke free on a wheel route that Pavia overthrew earlier in the game on the Alexander touchdown drive. Even walk-on running back Jamezell Lassiter flashed his acceleration when he popped a 35-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. 

It’s easy to see speed on display against an FCS opponent. But whether players like Richardson and Barnett continue to thrive against Virginia Tech and beyond will give fans a clue on just how much the Commodores’ speed can exploit defenses.