Report: Commodore QB Enters Transfer Portal

Matt Zenitz of al.com had the first report. Yes, Mo Hasan is the first of the quarterbacks from the 2019 Vanderbilt Commodores to enter the transfer portal. Before the outrage rises, it is very possible that Vanderbilt’s medical staff is the cause of this transfer, not Derek Mason. Or, yes, it could be a sign that Mason is losing the faith of the locker room even though the late gains in recruiting and lack of transfers from players expected to contribute meaningfully next year says otherwise.

Whether Mo Hasan can safely play football again is not something any of us are equipped to assess. However, this would be the second time that Vanderbilt had a player unable to be cleared by our medical staff that was allowed to play by another university. Ean Pfeifer started 5 games at guard in 2017 before being injured. At the end of the season, he transferred to Louisville as a graduate transfer. He did not play in 2018, presumably due to injury since he would have been immediately eligibile. In 2019, the former guard appeared in 11 games while being listed as a TE and tallied a single catch on the season, a 6-yard TD.

Again, Pfeifer was a starter on our offensive line. The medical staff would not clear him. He left to go play elsewhere and also dropped a significant amount of weight, which makes sense considering it was a leg injury (a knee injury, I believe) that ended his Vanderbilt career. The decrease of load would have been beneficial. For Mo and his concussion issues, nothing can really be done to mitigate the risk of further injury or future complications.

Mason bringing in 3 QBs yesterday probably tells us he knew that at least 1 QB was leaving, if not 2. The desire for a little experience and maturity to go with the younger Seals and Wright is understandable. It is very unfortunate to lose the QB who was responsible for our lone SEC win last season. Having him available would be something of a safety blanket in case none of the new guys are ready or one of Walters or Walters takes a couple of HUGE steps forward.

Good luck and good health, Mo. We appreciate all the work you put into Vanderbilt football and into the Nashville community through Second Spoon.