Vanderbilt 2012 Recruiting

Vanderbilt Commodores 2012 ... Head Coach: James Franklin

Vanderbilt Commodores

2011 Record: 6-7

Sep. 3 Elon W 45-14
Sep. 10 Connecticut W 24-21
Sep. 17 Ole Miss W 30-7
Sep. 24 at South Carolina L 21-3
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 at Alabama L 34-0
Oct. 15 Georgia L 33-28
Oct. 22 Army W 44-21
Oct. 29 Arkansas L 31-28
Nov. 5 at Florida L 26-21
Nov. 12 Kentucky W 38-8
Nov. 19 at Tennessee L 27-21 OT
Nov. 26 at Wake Forest W 41-7
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31 Cincinnati L 31-24

2010 CFN Prediction: 1-11
2010 Record: 2-10

Sept. 4 Northwestern L 23-21
Sept. 11 LSU L 27-3
Sept. 18 at Ole Miss W 28-14
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Connecticut L 40-21
Oct. 9 Eastern Mich W 52-6
Oct. 16 at Georgia L 43-0
Oct. 23 South Carolina L 21-7
Oct. 30 at Arkansas L 49-14
Nov. 6 Florida L 55-14
Nov. 13 at Kentucky L 38-20
Nov. 20 Tennessee L 24-19
Nov. 27 Wake Forest L 34-13
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Vanderbilt Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB Brian Kimbrow
5-9, 165, Scout.com 27th ranked, four-star running back. Kimbrow is one of the fastest football prospects in the country. He has that initial burst that can't be taught and he is very tough to touch in the open field. His size limits him a bit as a running back, but he is very tough and not afraid to stick it up inside. He needs to really work on catching the football. It is not a natural thing to him. Improving that will make him a lot more valuable, but his speed sets him apart.

2. QB Patton Robinette
6-5, 200, Scout.com 38th ranked, three-star quarterback. Robinette has long, lean frame, nice touch on his passes, including underneath and the long ball, better than average accuracy. Excellent decision making running the spread whether it’s the run option or making reads downfield. Good athleticism, will keep a defense honest when he keeps the ball making them respect his ability to keep the ball. Stands tall in the pocket and has a smooth, easy delivery.

3. OT Andrew Jelks
6-6, 260, Scout.com 43rd ranked, three-star offensive tackle.

4. LB Jacob Sealand
6-1, 220, Scout.com 45th ranked, three-star middle linebacker.

5. OT Will Holden
6-6, 271, Scout.com 49th ranked, three-star offensive tackle.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Offensive linemen. The Commodores have gone after the best players possible over the last few years, and head coach James Franklin was terrific last season at beefing up the skill spots, but now he needs offensive linemen to build up for the future. The line should be fine for the next few years, but this class has to be about the building blocks for down the road.

Team Concerns For 2012: Defensive playmakers. The Commodores return enough starters to be solid next season, but they lose some key parts on the line and corner Casey Hayward and safety Sean Richardson. The potential is there for 2011 to be a terrific year with so much experience returning, so this year’s class will be about the future. This is for 2014.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Head coach James Franklin got the team to a bowl game in his first season, and now he has a better team coming back. Jordan Rodgers is the unquestioned starting quarterback, and he has a good group of skill players to work with led by RB Zac Stacy and big receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd. Making it all work is a line that gets four starters back. The defense loses the man in the middle, Chris Marve, and ball-hawking defensive backs Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson are done. However, six starters are back and enough depth returns to expect even more from a defense that finished 18th in the nation.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 43. That Class Was Heavy On ... Skill players. New head coach James Franklin did a magnificent job of bringing in one of Vanderbilt’s best recruiting classes in years. Signing Day pickups of WR Lafonte Thourogood, a 6-3, 225-pound former quarterback, and QB Josh Grady should be a big help in the near future for the always middling offense. The running backs got better with speedy Mitchell Hester and small, quick Jerron Seymoure to add more pizzazz to the attack. Tight end Dillon van der Wal out of California was a big-time coup, taking him away from Arkansas and Arizona State.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 55. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. The Commodores got a little bit of everything for both sides of the ball and came up with some good defensive back prospects, led by corners Andre Hall and Karl Butler, and some intriguing receivers with 6-5 Chris Boyd and lightning-fast Jonathan Krause leading the way. But the need was the defensive front and that's where the stars are with tackles Vince Taylor, Kyle Woestmann, and Jared Morse leading the way. Thomas Ryan and James Kittredge might be needed right away on the end.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 67. That Class Was Heavy On ... running backs. The Commodores lived off the ground game ever since Jay Cutler left, but that was mostly because of the mobility at quarterback. The running backs needed to be upgraded, and Bobby Johnson did that, at least for down the road, with Eric Samuels a speedy option, Warren Norman a quick player, and Zach Stacy a bit of a do-it-all prospect.
Liberty Bowl

Cincinnati 31 … Vanderbilt 24
- CFN Thoughts on the Liberty Bowl

Cincinnati: The Bearcats ran for 221 yards. … Zach Collaros completed 12-of-29 passes for 80 yards and a score with two picks. … Isaiah Pead ran 28 times for 149 yards and a score. … Adrien Robinson caught four passes for 16 yards. … J.K. Schaffer made nine tackles with a sack.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores outgained the Bearcats 168 yards to 80 though the air. … Larry Smith completed 8-of-19 passes for 142 yards and a score with a pick, and Jordan Rodgers completed 4-of-14 passes for 26 yards with a pick. .. Zac Stacy ran 18 times for 57 yards and a score. … Jordan Matthews caught four passes for 56 yards. … Archibald Barnes made ten tackles with a blocked kick. … Casey Hayward made eight tackles with a tackle for loss and two picks.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Isaiah Pead ran for 149 yards and a touchdown, and Ralph David Abernathy IV's 90-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter put Cincinnati ahead to stay as the Bearcats edged Vanderbilt 31-24 on Saturday in the Liberty Bowl.

The Bearcats (10-3) capped the season with their third straight victory.

But the co-Big East Conference champs had to work to put away Vanderbilt (6-7), a team that tied for fourth in the Southeastern Conference, despite forcing three turnovers and coming up with two sacks. The Commodores led 21-17 when Abernathy became the first Cincinnati player to return a kickoff for a TD in the program's 13 bowl appearances.

Vandy's Archibald Barnes blocked Tony Miliano's 39-yard field goal with 3:58 left, giving the Commodores the ball with plenty of time to go ahead. Nick Temple picked off a Larry Smith pass with 3:15 remaining, and Pead sealed the victory with a 12-yard TD run with 1:52 left.

Pead was the game's MVP.

Vanderbilt kicked a 35-yard field goal with 35 seconds left, but the Bearcats recovered the onside kick to kneel down for the victory.

Abernathy is the grandson of the civil rights leader who was in Memphis with Martin Luther King when he was assassinated in 1968.

George Winn also scored on a 69-yard TD run when he replaced Pead, while the Big East Offensive Player of the Year fixed a broken chin strap.

Zach Collaros, playing for the first time since breaking his right ankle Nov. 12, threw a touchdown pass but was intercepted twice. He was just 12 of 29 for 80 yards passing, though he moved around well.

Vanderbilt missed notching only its second winning record since 1982 with the loss.

This was only the fifth bowl for the SEC's only private university yet the second in four seasons. But the Commodores had trouble getting their offense going to match a defense that came up with three sacks and two interceptions - both by Casey Hayward.

Smith replaced Jordan Rodgers at quarterback in the third quarter, and he threw for 142 yards, including a short pass to Chris Boyd that the receiver took 68 yards up the right sideline before pulling up lame and diving into the end zone for a 21-17 lead with 14:03 left that lasted only as long as Abernathy could sprint down field after the kickoff.

The Bearcats led 14-7 at halftime and couldn't take advantage of two Vanderbilt turnovers in the third quarter.

The Commodores first muffed the opening kickoff before Rodgers was intercepted by Camerron Cheatham. Rodgers, the younger brother of NFL Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, didn't play after that. Coach James Franklin turned to Smith, who started the Commodores' Music City Bowl win in 2008.

Smith nearly pulled it off. He drove the Commodores 52 yards with a couple of key passes to set up Jerron Seymour's 5-yard TD run with 3:53 left in the quarter to tie it up at 14-all.

Zac Stacy also ran for a TD.

Nov. 26 Vanderbilt 41 … at Wake Forest 7
CFN Analysis: Bowl eligibility – James Franklin did it. It doesn’t matter that the SEC East stinks this year, and it doesn’t matter how it happened; the offense is starting to work, the defense has been solid, and the dominant win over a good Wake Forest team proved the Commodores belong in a bowl. This was a marvelous first-year coaching job. … Jordan Rodgers only completed 7-of-15 passes, but he ran for 90 yards and he didn’t turn the ball over. Zac Stacy had the most effective big game of his career with 184 yards and three scores. … Punter Richard Kent had a big game averaging 46.5 yards per shot and putting three of his four kicks inside the 20. … This is how you end a regular season. Vandy didn’t just win; it dominated its way into a bowl game.  

Nov. 19 at Tennessee 27 … Vanderbilt 21 OT
CFN Analysis: Vandy can be ticked all it wants about how the game ended, but Jordan Rodgers threw the pick in the first place to all but end the fun. He also threw two other interceptions and the team turned it over four times. … The ground game didn’t work against a normally porous Tennessee defensive front. Zac Stacy couldn’t get in the clear at all. … Richard Kent had a huge game with three punts for 152 yards and one put inside the 20. … With three losses in the last four, it’s been a tough second half of the season. It’s a one game playoff for a bowl, needing to beat Wake Forest to get it done. To win, the turnovers that proved so costly this week have to stop. Rodgers has to be sharper and far more careful.

Nov. 12 at Vanderbilt 38 … Kentucky 8
CFN Analysis: Zac Stacy ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns, and Jordan Rodgers threw for an effective 207 yards and two scores, but the defense owned this game, not allowing the Wildcats to convert a third down conversion. … The defensive front destroyed the Kentucky offensive line, checking in with four sacks. The Wildcat offense never got a chance to work and didn’t show any running game. … The Commodores are playing more than well enough to win one of its final two games against Tennessee or Wake Forest to go bowling as long as the offensive balance is there. Rodgers is taking the focus off Stacy, who rumbled at will in the big blowout. However, Vandy is 0-3 on the road this year.  

Nov. 5 at Florida 26 … Vanderbilt 21
CFN Analysis: Vanderbilt made uncharacteristic mistakes in a game that was right there for the taking. Jordan Rodgers continues to be magnificent, throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Matthews carved up the Florida secondary for 170 yards and a score on nine catches, but the Commodores have to win big on turnover margin – it was only a +1 – and it has to win the penalty battle. They committed 12 sins for 106 yards, while Florida was flagged just three times. Even with the problems, there were still chance to pull off the win, but Jeff Demps was too much to handle and key penalties gave the Gators to many chances. It might not seem like it after losing five of the last six games, but the team really is improving. However, it’ll take two wins against Kentucky, at Tennessee, and at Wake Forest to get a bowl bid.

Oct. 29 Arkansas 31 … at Vanderbilt 28
CFN Analysis: On the plus side, the offense moved the ball. Jordan Rodgers really is the answer at quarterback, throwing for 240 yards and a touchdown, and Jordan Matthews had a huge day, catching six passes for 151 yards and a score. With Vandy, though, it’s all about doing all the little things right to beat SEC teams, and while there were only three penalties, the three turnovers were devastating. The missed 27-yrd Casey Spear field goal attempt might be haunting with a road trip at Florida next, but at least the Commodores showed they could hang around with one of the SEC’s big boys.

Oct. 22 at Vanderbilt 44 … Army 21
CFN Analysis: Even when the Vandy passing game has something positive to get excited about, there are still problems. Jordan Rodgers threw for 186 yards with a touchdown, but he only completed 10-of-27 passes with two picks. However, he ran well with 96 yards and a score, and Zac Stacy was terrific running for 198 yards and three touchdowns as part of a 344-yard rushing day as a team. The defense kept Army to 270 rushing yards, with Chris Marve making 11 stops and the defensive front controlling the game from the start. Now the Commodores are just two wins away from a bowl, and there are winnable games left against Kentucky and Wake Forest. First, though, the offense has to try to keep the ground game going against Arkansas to keep the high-powered offense off the field.  

Oct. 15 Georgia 33 … at Vanderbilt 28
CFN Analysis: Vanderbilt actually got some offense. 117th in the nation in yards coming into the game, and with one of the nation’s least efficient attacks, and Jordan Rodgers completed 4-of-19 passes and the Vandy passers combined to complete 11-of-31 passes for 149 yards with three picks, and with 43 of the yards coming on a trick play from running back Zac Stacy. Fortunately, Stacy ran for 97 yards and a score and Rodgers looked more mobile than his brother, Aaron, with 80 rushing yards on 11 carries. Even with four turnovers and no consistent passing game, Rodgers had two chances for the win, and he came up short. It might be ugly at times, but the team has been competitive. 

Oct. 8 at Alabama 34 … Vanderbilt 0
CFN Analysis: It’s not crime to get shut down cold by the Alabama defense. Vandy didn’t have a prayer offensively with Jordan Rodgers stepping in for Larry Smith and with neither quarterback moving the chains. The defense had to come up with a slew of big plays and takeaways for any chance to keep it interesting, and it didn’t happen. The back seven couldn’t come up with any stops on third down and the defensive front got pushed around. The pass rush was nice and there were plenty of plays in the backfield, but no takeaways. After scoring three points in two games, coming up with something on offense, anything, is a must against a hot Georgia.

Sept. 24 South Carolina 21 … at Vanderbilt 3
CFN Analysis: For the first time all year, the lack of offense proved to be too much to overcome. The defense did its part with four takeaways and keeping the USC offensive stars under wraps, but the offense couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities. Larry Smith completed 12-of-16 passes, but the throws went nowhere and the running game was non-existent, netting a mere four yards. The offensive line that’s been such a problem in pass protection was costly with Smith getting hit way too much and with the forced fumbles changing the game around. With Alabama up next, James Franklin and the coaching staff have to come up with some way to move the passing game down the field a bit more or else the O won’t hit the 200 yard mark.

Sept. 17 at Vanderbilt 30 … Ole Miss 7
CFN Analysis: Vanderbilt will never be an offensive powerhouse, but against Ole Miss it looked like Wisconsin. The ground game was efficient and effective with Zac Stacy picking up the slack with 169 yards – 77 on the game sealing touchdown run – in place of Warren Norman, while Larry Smith didn’t make the big mistake completing 13-of-20 passes for 103 yards. The team needs to win on turnover margin and others’ mistakes, and while the three turnovers and seven penalties were way too many, the Rebels kept screwing up worse. Reality is about to set in with road games at South Carolina and Alabama up next, but the secondary is playing at a high level and the D is doing a terrific job of taking the ball away. Again, if Vandy can win the turnover margin, things might get interesting against the better teams.

Sept. 10 at Vanderbilt 24 … Connecticut 21
CFN Analysis: Is Vandy really 2-0? Whomping Elon was no big deal, but the defense stepped up and came up with the big plays needed to get by Connecticut. The offensive line has been terrible, and there’s almost no passing offense to speak of, but the defense has been terrific and the effort is full-tile for a full sixty minutes. The Commodores didn’t allow a thing through the air and brought a great pass rush to screw up the timing of the Husky attack. Now the offense has to find a playmaker. Larry Smith is trying, but he only completed 12-of-24 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown with two picks, and he struggled against the UConn pass rush. The O isn’t going to get better against Ole Miss and South Carolina, but it needs to win the turnover battle like it’s been doing over the last two weeks. 

Sept. 3 at Vanderbilt 45 … Elon 14
CFN Analysis: The James Franklin era got off to a good start on the scoreboard, but the offense was very, very shaky. Larry Smith didn’t complete half his passes, but he threw two touchdown passes and didn’t make any big mistakes. Jordan Rodgers showed off a little of what he can do completing 3-of-4 passes for 52 yards and a score, and it’s possible the two quarterbacks rotate going forward. The running game didn’t go anywhere, and the secondary struggled, but the Commodores were +3 in turnover margin and committed four penalties to Elon’s seven. Chris Marve came up with 12 tackles and two tackles for loss, and the D came through when needed, but overall, there’s still a long way to go. 

Five Vanderbilt Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Skill players. New head coach James Franklin did a magnificent job of bringing in one of Vanderbilt’s best recruiting classes in years. Signing Day pickups of WR Lafonte Thourogood, a 6-3, 225-pound former quarterback, and QB Josh Grady should be a big help in the near future for the always middling offense. The running backs got better with speedy Mitchell Hester and small, quick Jerron Seymoure to add more pizzazz to the attack. Tight end Dillon van der Wal out of California was a big-time coup, taking him away from Arkansas and Arizona State.

1. WR Lafonte Thourogood
6-3, 225, Scout.com’s 38th ranked receiver. Plays quarterback for his Ocean Lakes team, but is built like a linebacker. A good enough arm that some teams may tell him quarterback, but seems to be more valuable as a big, strong athlete. Is more likely to break the tackle of a smaller defensive back than make a man miss, and once he does, he shows good speed in the open field. Experience at QB give him good coverage awareness .

2. CB Derek King
5-11, 180, Scout.com’s 32nd ranked cornerback. King started as a running back and cornerback for Brentwood Academy and returned kickoffs. He says he can bench 275-pounds, squat 350 and claims a 36-inch vertical jump. King runs the 100m (10.68) and 200m (21.9).

3. CB Jacquese Kirk
6-0, 160, Scout.com’s 78th ranked cornerback. Kirk has good size and turns his hips well in coverage. He has good instincts, able to play straight up man coverage or use his vision to play zone and stick with crossing receivers. A capable tackler, Kirk doesn't initiate contact, but he makes the tackle when he's called upon. A "cover" corner who is better against the pass than against the run, Kirk should get more physical as he gets bigger and stronger in the weight room

3. RB Mitchell Hester
5-10, 180, Scout.com’s 75th ranked running back.

4. QB Josh Grady
6-0, 185, Scout.com’s 50th ranked quarterback. Dual threat QB that threw for 1,553 yards with 18 TDs and five interceptions while leading Armwood to the 4A state semi-finals as a junior.

5. TE Dillon van der Wal
6-7, 240, Scout.com’s 12th ranked tight end. Has terrific size that immediately makes one think of a future offensive tackle, but van der Wal has a frame that looks better suited to stick at tight end. He has pillow soft hands and presents a huge target with his height. A growth spurt could see him put his hand down full time at tackle, where he'd be comfortable because he's a good blocker. A solid route runner who is a weapon in the middle of the field or in the corners .

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Jake Bernstein Off. Line 6’3” 280 Crystal Lake, Ill. Crystal Lake South H.S.
Darien Bryant Athlete 6’4” 210 Pickerington, Ohio Pickerington North H.S.
Barron Dixon Def. Line 6’4” 280 Alpharetta, Ga. Chattahoochee H.S.
Larry Franklin Def. Back 6’1” 212 Vero Beach, Fla. Vero Beach H.S.
Josh Grady Quarterback 6’0” 185 Tampa, Fla. Armwood H.S.
Conor Hart Def. Line 6’3” 250 Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Brother Rice H.S.
Mitchell Hester Running Back 5’9” 180 Neptune Beach, Fla. Fletcher H.S.
Kris Kentera Quarterback 6’4” 195 Colorado Springs, Colo. Pine Creek H.S.
Derek King Def. Back 5’11” 195 Nashville, Tenn. Brentwood Acad.
Jacquese Kirk Receiver/Def. Back 6’0” 160 Jasper, Ala. Walker H.S.
James Lewis Off. Line 6’5” 300 Arlington, Tenn. Arlington H.S.
Jahmel McIntosh Def. Back 6’1" 200 Cleveland, Miss. Cleveland H.S.
Spencer Pulley Off. Line 6’4” 275 Germantown,Tenn. Evangelical Christian School
Steven Scheu Tight End 6’5” 235 Evansville, Ind. Reitz Memorial H.S.
Jerron Seymour Running Back 5’7” 188 Hialeah, Fla. Hialeah H.S.
Jimmy Stewart Def. End/Linebacker 6’3” 210 Cape Coral, Fla. Island Coast H.S.
Joe Townsend Def. LIne/Off. Line 6’4” 280 Hendersonville, Tenn. Hendersonville H.S.
Lafonte Thourogood Quarterback 6’2” 225 Virginia Beach, Va. Ocean Lakes H.S.
Jose Valedon Off. Line 6’3” 280 Oak Ridge, Tenn. Oak Ridge H.S.
Dillon van der Wal Tight End/Def. End 6’7” 235 Woodland Hills, Calif. Oaks Christian H.S.
Andrew Williamson Def. Back 6’1” 195 San Antonio, Texas John Paul Stevens H.S.