The Vanderbilt Commodores have updated the official roster for the 2017 season on the website, and the good news is that there aren’t any surprises. Nobody has left the program that we didn’t already know about, and all of the incoming freshmen have arrived on campus in one piece. Hooray for small victories!
Of course, these things are rarely a problem for Vanderbilt; inevitably, other programs will have players who have to wait until later in the summer to enroll as they await NCAA clearance. That’s not a problem here, though there are three players who still don’t appear on the roster, and all three are transfers. Junior college offensive lineman Saige Young — a late addition to the signing class after National Signing Day — isn’t on campus yet, and neither are long snapper Scott Sypniewski, a graduate transfer from Michigan, nor former Ohio State wide receiver Alex Stump. It seems likely that Sypniewski may be finishing up his coursework to graduate from Michigan, and Young might still have some course work left as well. It’s not clear what is going on with Stump, though he’ll have to sit out the 2017 season either way so it’s not a major worry.
There are a couple of positional changes to note. Oren Burks, formerly a safety who switched to the “Star” position last season, is now just listed as an outside linebacker on the roster. Redshirt sophomore Jaire George has switched from running back to fullback — almost certainly due to the logjam at running back — and redshirt freshman walk-on Tommy Schiager has switched from fullback to snapper. The latter switch might provide some competition for Sypniewski, as both Jacob Schultz and Wilson Johnson have graduated while Davis Winkie moved on.
A few guys have new jersey numbers, as well: safety LaDarius Wiley switched from #13 to #5; and linebacker Jordan Griffin switched from #43 to #40. Freshmen have been assigned jersey numbers, as well. DL Dayo Odeyingbo will wear #10 -- and he’s listed at 6’6” and 255 pounds on the official roster. QB Jacob Free will wear #12; LB Feleti Afemui will wear #17; LB Colin Anderson will wear #18; DB Randall Haynie will wear #24; DB Allan George will wear #28; DL Jalen Pinkney will wear #44; LB Brayden DeVault-Smith will wear #52; OL Grant Miller will wear #63; OL Johnathan Stewart will wear #73; OL Cole Clemens will wear #74 (Will Holden’s old number); OL Bryce Bailey will wear #78; WR James Bostic Jr. will wear #81; WR Chris Pierce will wear #85; LB Michael Owusu will wear #88; DL Jonah Buchanan will wear #92; and DL Stone Edwards will wear #96. Transfer RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who will be sitting out the 2017 season, has been assigned #5.
Notably, nobody will wear Zach Cunningham’s old #41 this season.