Vanderbilt Football 2021 Position Previews: Defensive Line, Part 2

On Friday, we started our preview of Vanderbilt’s defensive line with a look at the returnees on the defensive front. Today, we’ll talk about the newcomers.

Alex Williams, redshirt junior: Williams, a 6’6”, 260-pound transfer from Ohio State, has experience: he logged eight tackles for the Buckeyes in 2019. That’s pretty limited, but he has good size and was a highly-rated recruit coming out of high school. What his impact will be in 2021 is unclear; it’s hard to argue against the size and physicality here, though, and playing time should be there if he lives up to his potential.

Marcus Bradley, freshman: Bradley was the highest-rated recruit in Vanderbilt’s 2021 class according to the 247 Sports composite, and it’s not hard to see why: at 6’3” and 270 pounds, he’s surprisingly mobile. In fact, according to the 247 Sports composite, he’s the sixth-highest rated recruit in Vanderbilt history (dating back to around 2000 or so.) That fact makes it surprising that he’s not penciled in for a starting spot; he’ll have to beat out Daevion Davis and Raashaan Wilkins to claim a job. But he should make an immediate impact regardless.

Devin Lee, freshman: A 6’3”, 275-pound prospect from McDonough, Georgia, Lee was a former Ole Miss commit who flipped to Vanderbilt shortly before signing day. He’s another defensive line prospect with impressive potential, and his high school stats back it up: as a senior, he logged nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Like Bradley, he should be in the mix for early playing time.

Terion Sugick, freshman: This is a pretty impressive group of freshmen on the defensive line. Sugick, at 6’2” and 305 pounds, already has ideal size to play defensive tackle, and he’s another guy who could see early playing time. Also: he goes by “Tank.” You should always recruit defensive tackles who go by “Tank.”

Jacques Hunter, freshman: At 6’4” and 225 pounds, Hunter is the one prospect in the freshman class who clearly slots on the edge. In high school in Valdosta, Georgia, Hunter had 22 career tackles for loss. He’ll probably need a year in the weight room before he’s ready to contribute.

Tyler Bence, freshman: The first player to commit in the 2021 class, Bence comes from Huntsville, Alabama, and ranks as the #72 defensive tackle prospect in the country. Interestingly, he’s listed at 6’3” and 255 pounds on the roster, while recruiting services had him in the 275-280 range, and I think he’ll need to get back up to the latter weight to play in the SEC.