Vanderbilt Football Fall Camp Preview: Wide Receiver

Vandy on SI’s projected depth chart: 

Consistent factors: Junior Sherrill, Trent Hudson, Martel Hight, Richie Hoskins, Tre Richardson, Chance Fitzgerald

Rotational pieces: Joseph McVay, Tristen Brown, Boski Barrett

Battling: Witt Edwards, Lebron Hill, Kayleb Barnett, Jeremiah Dillon, Cameran Dickson

What to watch for: 

Vanderbilt’s wide receiver room is perhaps its least exciting on paper, but it has plenty of opportunity to prove that it’s improved since the spring. 

Sherrill is the odds-on favorite to be wide receiver one, but Vanderbilt will only have a successful room here if it has some sort of surprising step up from one or more of its transfers. 

Hudson appears to be the most likely candidate to take a step forward here. He’s a big, physical red zone threat with some real tools. Hudson didn’t see the field much at Mississippi State last season and opted to take a redshirt year, but is now reunited with his quarterback and offensive coordinator from New Mexico State. Perhaps that could ease his transition into being an effective SEC player. 

If it’s not Hudson, it will have to be Richardson making some plays with his track speed or Fitzgerald finally capitalizing on his physical tools and becoming a top of the depth chart player after being a back of the rotation guy at Virginia Tech. 

In a room like this, it’s also got to be growing up time for some of Vanderbilt’s young receivers. McVay flashed some big play ability last camp and in a few in-game moments last season while Brown had a nice showing against Alcorn State, but they’ll each have to sure up some of their deficiencies this fall in order to become every day guys after a spring in which Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea expressed that he’d like them to be farther along. Barring a surprise from one of Vanderbilt’s freshmen, there will be some pressure on its three sophomores. 

If all else fails, Vanderbilt can try to use Hight and his speed to generate some yards. 

What will Hight’s impact be?

Vanderbilt liked using Hight in some packages throughout the spring and could clearly benefit from his downfield speed and ability to generate some yards after the catch as a gadget guy. 

Balancing Hight’s usage offensively with his defensive usage–which needs to be the most it can be–will be the battle here for Vanderbilt. It has to be able to pick its spots with Hight as a receiver enough to have him be effective, but also enough to avoid telegraphing the direction the play will go every time he’s in the game. 

Vanderbilt needs Hight defensively, but if it had enough options at wide receiver to avoid using him offensively then it would have. 

Hight says he believes that he’ll play some offensive snaps, but how much he’ll play both ways will be more decipherable in fall camp. 

What’s at stake

Anyone who wants a role in the fall has a chance to grab it come August 1. This room is wide open as Vanderbilt enters camp. Sherrill will play significant snaps and Hoskins will be a vocal leader, that’s about all that’s guaranteed. 

Vanderbilt likely wanted to add a big money receiver to really sure up the room, but that’s a difficult selling point in an offense that isn’t designed to move primarily through its downfield passing game. 

If there isn’t a receiver that steps up alongside Sherrill throughout camp, Vanderbilt will have to head into the season with a sense of uncomfortability surrounding its receiver room and may have to gameplan accordingly.