TAMPA — After just missing the College Football Playoff, No. 14 Vanderbilt gears up for a matchup against No. 23 Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on New Year’s Eve.
The Commodores took the field at Jesuit High School for their first practice in Tampa on Saturday, and, similarly to Iowa, will be nearly at full strength, with All-American senior tight end Eli Stowers likely being the only opt-out.
Stowers was not seen at practice, but did travel with the team to Tampa and has not officially opted out yet. The senior led Vanderbilt in receiving yards – racking up 769 yards on 62 receptions – earning him the John Mackey Award for the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Fellow senior tight end Cole Spence took the majority of first-team reps at Vanderbilt’s practice in place of Stowers, with sophomore Brycen Coleman also seeing the field.
Headlining the Commodore offense is Heisman finalist quarterback Diego Pavia, who will be full-go for this New Year’s Eve showdown. Pavia threw for 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns, (both numbers land in the top-20 in the country), while also leading Vanderbilt with 826 rushing yards.
Alongside Pavia in the backfield will be junior Makhilyn Young, who also transferred from New Mexico State with Pavia. Young is listed as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart, but posted a staggering 9.1 yards per carry this season.
Young said that facing the Hawkeye defense will present many challenges, but Vanderbilt’s focus is on itself rather than on Iowa.
“They’re a very sound defense,” Young said. “They have sure-handed tacklers. Their physicality and their ability to get [to the ball], but it’s not about them, it’s about us. We just focus on what we can do and what our strengths are.”
Vanderbilt’s biggest strength this season has been its offense, ranking eighth in the country with nearly 40 points per game. The Commodore defense, however, has been on the other end of the spectrum, ranking 55th in total defense (355 yards per game).
With Iowa’s offensive line winning the Joe Moore Award for the best unit in college football, penetrating that front five will be a big test for Vanderbilt, but defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor is excited for the challenge.
Sydnor, a fifth-year, played at Purdue from 2021 to 2023, and saw action against the Hawkeyes in 2022, recording half a sack and two tackles in a 24-3 Boilermaker loss.
“I know how they play,” Sydnor said about Iowa. “It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ve been playing solid up front, our defense has been playing solid, so I’ll take my guys every single day.”
Sydnor also added that stopping the Hawkeyes’ rushing attack will be key for the Commodores, saying that the goal is to get the Iowa offense off schedule to change its game plan.
While stuffing the running lanes is the main focus for the Vanderbilt defense, junior cornerback Martel Hight doesn’t discredit the Hawkeye receivers and their ability to push the ball downfield when needed.
“They’ve got some pretty good receivers,” Hight said. “Their run game is very hectic, their offensive line is really good, so we’re trying to scheme up against that, and hopefully we get that done.”
Hight leads the team in interceptions with three on the season, and finished runner-up to Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen for the Jet Award for the nation’s best returner in 2024.
Hight has played in nearly every game for the Commodores since his freshman season, and is cherishing the opportunity to play one last time alongside the seniors above him who have guided him along the way.
“It’s special,” Hight said. “This team has brought a lot of good memories, a lot of leadership. I’m going to miss that, especially from Diego [Pavia], and all those guys. It’s just been really special, and I’m here to cherish every moment of it.”