Texas Longhorns vs Vanderbilt Commodores Players To Watch

Texas takes on Vanderbilt in Week nine of the college football season in Texas's first home game against an SEC opponent this season.

Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia returns to Nashville after an impressive first season with Vanderbilt, along with a host of other talent.

Here are a few players the Longhorns need to keep an eye on heading into the matchup on Nov. 1.

Diego Pavia - Quarterback

Pavia made himself known throughout the SEC after leading Vanderbilt to its best record since 2013, going 7-6, including a victory over No. 1 Alabama in week five of the season. Pavia proved his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns, while leading the team in rushing with 800 yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. Pavia was awarded AP All-SEC Second team honors and the SEC Newcomer of the year.

While he proved not to be the strongest passer in the conference, throwing for more than 200 yards in three of 13 games last season, he did prove that he is a capable scorer, recording multiple passing touchdowns in eight games and at least one rushing touchdown in seven games.

Eli Stowers - Tight End

Pavia's number one target, Stowers, is another critical piece returning for the Commodores for the 2025 season. Stowers finished the season with 638 yards and 49 receptions, twenty more receptions than the next Vanderbilt receiver. Against the No. 1 Crimson Tide in week five, Stowers reeled in six catches for 113 yards in Vanderbilt's 40-35 victory.

Stowers had a harder time against Texas last season with 3 catches for 33 yards, but did find the end zone for a touchdown. The tight end was named to the SEC media days All-SEC first team.

Randon Fontenette - Linebacker

A former four-star and the No. 16-ranked safety in the 2023 class according to On3, Fontenette transferred to Vanderbilt from TCU last season and is expected to make a bigger impact in 2025. In his first season with the Commodores, Fontenette was third on the team in total tackles with 72 and led the team with 3.5 sacks.

Now entering his junior season, Fontenette will look to make a leap and stand out amongst the Commodores. Against Texas last season, Fontenette recorded 1.5 sacks and eight total tackles.

Bryan Longwell - Linebacker

Longwell was the leading tackler for the Commodores, totaling 89 in 2024, accompanied by 1.5 sacks and an interception. When facing Texas last season, Longwell recorded 11 tackles against the Longhorns for his second-most in a single game. He is a player to watch, with the capability of disrupting the Texas offense.