Vanderbilt Football Fall Camp Preview: Safety

Vandy on SI’s projected depth chart: 

Boundary starter: CJ Heard

Boundary rotational pieces: Carson Lawrence

Boundary backup: Davin Chandler

Field starter: Dontae Carter

Field rotational pieces: Marlen Sewell, Jalen Gilbert

What to watch for: 

Vanderbilt turns over its safety room entirely after CJ Taylor and De’Rickey Wright’s departures from the program, which leave it some questions on the back end. 

It’s a near certainty Heard–a Florida Atlantic transfer who flashed throughout spring ball–will be the starter at boundary. He’s fast, can come down and hit and will be a productive tackler if he’s healthy. 

The field side is more up in the air. 

Carter had some days in which he excelled throughout spring ball, but his game action in 2024 left something to be desired. The then-freshman playing in uncomfortable positions and having a general lack of reps should be included in that evaluation, as well. 

Despite Carter’s in-game struggles last season, the best case scenario for Vanderbilt includes him taking the reigns at field safety and running with them. He’s got perhaps the highest ceiling out of any safety on Vanderbilt’s roster, which is reflected in his recruiting ranking. 

If it’s not Carter at field safety, Vanderbilt will turn to its veteran option–and team barber–Marlen Sewell. Sewell isn’t the pure talent that Carter is, but Vanderbilt appears to know what it has in him after allowing him to test his options in the transfer portal before he ultimately returned to Steve Gregory’s defense. 

Gilbert also flashed throughout fall camp last August, but he’ll have to significantly outplay Carter and Sewell to have a chance at seeing the field consistently. 

Is Carson Lawrence ready?

Lawrence is one of Vanderbilt’s more highly regarded recruits in recent memory, but he’ll have to prove that he’s ready to play a significant role as a freshman this fall. 

The 6-foot-2, 200 pound freshman showed a real ability to come down and hit–perhaps a bit too much–throughout the spring and showed off his above average athletic traits. He didn’t appear to be within striking distance of taking Heard’s job, though. 

Lawrence doesn’t have to do that in order to take on a significant role this season, but he’ll have to continue to make strides throughout camp in order to play meaningful snaps. He’s in a similar position to the one Carter was in this time last year, but has what appears to be a more open path to significant reps than Carter did. 

What’s at stake

Vanderbilt’s safeties’ ability to control the run game and limit big plays in the passing game could make things easier on Gregory, a first year defensive coordinator. 

So could some depth pieces proving that they’re capable of seeing the field when the time comes. 

Vanderbilt appears to know what it has in Heard, Sewell and Gilbert, but what it gets out of Carter, Chandler and Lawrence is the real story here.