AggieYell.com continues its series on Texas A&M football's 2020 opponents with a look at the Aggies' season-opening opponent, Vanderbilt (3-9 in 2019).
Key returning players (with 2019 stats in parentheses)
Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch; Defensive coordinator Ted Roof; Redshirt senior RB Jamauri Wakefield (1 carry, 7 yards and 1 catch, 10 yards in 2019 opener before season-ending injury); Sophomore RB Keyon Brooks (56 carries, 252 yards, 1 TD); Sophomore WR Cam Johnson (30 catches, 316 yards, 3 TD); Senior WR Chris Pierce (14 catches, 245 yards, 1 TD); Redshirt sophomore LT Tyler Steen (12 starts at right tackle); Redshirt junior C Grant Miller (10 starts); Senior DE Dayo Odeyingbo (45 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks); Redshirt senior DT Cameron Tidd (32 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks); Redshirt junior LB Dimitri Moore (99 tackles, 6 TFL); Redshirt senior LB Andre Mintze (40 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks); Senior S Tae Daley (57 tackles, 3 INT, 1 forced fumble); Redshirt junior CB Allan George (38 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery); Redshirt sophomore CB BJ Anderson (29 tackles, 2 passes defensed)
Major losses
QB Mo Hassan (7-11, 120 yards, 1 TD; transferred); RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn (198 carries, 1,028 yards, 9 TD); QB Riley Neal (149-258, 1,585 yards, 5 TD, 9 INT); WR Kalijah Lipscomb (47 catches, 511 yards, 3 TD); Redshirt junior OL Jonathan Stewart (opted out); Senior OL Cole Clemens (opted out); TE Jared Pinkney (20 catches, 233 yards, 2 TD); Senior LT Devin Cochran (transferred to Georgia Tech but did not enroll)
Key new additions
QB Ken Seals; QB Mike Wright; QB Jeremy Moussa (JUCO transfer); OL Jason Brooks; OL Bradley Ashmore; DT Derek Green (transfer from Oklahoma); DE/DT Malik Langham (transfer from Florida); S Donovan Kaufman; OL Connor Mignone (transfer from Central Connecticut)
2019 stats
Rushing offense: 127.3 YPG (111th nationally, 14th SEC)
Passing offense: 172 YPG (115th nationally, 13th SEC)
Total offense: 299.3 YPG (123rd nationally, 14th SEC)
Scoring offense: 16.5 PPG (125th nationally, 14th SEC)
Rushing defense: 208.8 YPG (115th nationally, 13th SEC)
Passing defense: 227.8 YPG (66th nationally, 10th SEC)
Total defense: 436.6 YPG (101st nationally, 13th SEC)
Scoring defense: 31.8 PPG (95th nationally, 13th SEC)
Turnovers forced: 11 (121st nationally, 14th SEC)
Turnovers allowed: 13 (14th nationally, 3rd SEC)
2020 projected starters (returning starters in bold)
QB: Freshman Ken Seals (6-3, 218)
RB: Redshirt sophomore Jamauri Wakefield (6-1, 223)
TE: Redshirt sophomore Ben Bresnahan (6-4, 244; 7 catches, 105 yards)
LT: Redshirt sophomore Tyler Steen (6-5, 317)
LG: Redshirt sophomore Dan Dawkins (6-3, 308)
C: Senior Grant Miller (6-4, 297; started 7 games in 2019)
RG: Sophomore Julian Hernandez (6-4, 312)
RT: Redshirt senior Connor Mignone (6-4, 302; first-team All-Northeast Conference at Central Connecticut in 2019)
WR: Redshirt sophomore Amir Abdur-Rahman (6-4, 217; injured in the 2019 season-opener)
WR: Redshirt sophomore Cam Johnson (6', 198)
WR: Senior Chris Pierce (6-4, 231)
DE: Senior Dayo Odeyingbo (6-6, 276)
DT: Redshirt senior Drew Birchmeier (21 tackles, 1 TFL in 12 starts)
DT: Redshirt senior Cameron Tidd (6-3, 295)
OLB: Redshirt senior Andrew Mintze (6-3, 246)
ILB: Senior Kenny Hebert (34 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks)
ILB: Redshirt junior Dimitri Moore (6-3, 234)
OLB: Redshirt sophomore Elijah McAllister (6-6, 245; 26 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks)
CB: Redshirt sophomore BJ Anderson (6-1, 190)
S: Senior Tae Daley (6', 198)
S: Redshirt senior Frank Coppett (5-11, 190; started first two games of 2019 before season-ending injury)
Derek Mason is a defensive guy and has emphasized defense first at Vanderbilt. Their defense is pretty good, which is a plus -- because their offense has the potential to be horrible.
Last year, the Commodores had a trio of talent in RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn, WR Kalijah Lipscomb and TE Jared Pinkney that rivaled any in program history; they went 3-9 anyway. Not only did they go 3-9, they had one of the worst offenses in the nation. This year, they're in a position where they may very well start a true freshman in Ken Seals (from Weatherford) in the season opener at Kyle Field.
To make matters worse, the offensive line is a mess. Grant Miller is the mainstay at center, with Tyler Steen moving from the right side to left tackle. Everything else is a mess, complicated by multiple potential starters opting out. It looks like things may be set, but the second team offensive line consists of true freshmen and walk-ons.
Defensively, Vandy is a little more salty. They've got a what should be an improved defensive front line, with Dayo Odeyingbo being a valid All-SEC candidate. Moore, who had originally planned to opt out, changed his mind and returns as the team's leading tackler. He and Mintze create a solid pair of inside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme. Daley is a legit safety and the secondary is experienced, if not very impressive statistically.
The Commodores are razor-thin across the board and extremely inexperienced on offense. The defense may be competitive, but could get worn out because it's on the field so much. If some of the young offensive players don't get good fast, then it could be an ugly year for Vandy.
2020 schedule
Sept. 26: @Texas A&M
Oct. 3: LSU
Oct. 10: South Carolina
Oct. 17: @Missouri
Oct. 24: BYE
Oct. 31: Ole Miss
Nov. 7: @Mississippi State
Nov. 14: @Kentucky
Nov. 21: Florida
Nov. 28: Tennessee
Dec. 5: @Georgia
