Welcome to the Future of Vanderbilt Football

The tides are turning for the Vanderbilt Commodore program. Coming off a bowl game last year, the future looks bright for the Commodores. Coach Bobby Johnson has built a program ready for winning in Nashville.

I see four key offensive players that will keep the Commodores battling the big teams in the SEC for years to come.

QB Larry Smith is 6'2" and a lean 216 lbs. Smith played high school ball at Prattville HS in Prattville, Ala. Smith compiled over 4,400 yards passing with 39 touchdowns and four interceptions in his final two years of high school. He's a dual threat quarterback who makes smart decisions with the ball.

Against Western Carolina, he had a QB rating of 145.3. He threw for 153 yards and rushed for 46 yards, but the key was no interceptions.

TE Brandon Barden is a beast at 6'5" and 245 lbs. of muscle. Barden signed with Virginia Tech back in 2006 but then transferred to Vanderbilt. He redshirted in 2007.

In 2008, he finished the season as the top freshman receiving TE in the nation with 28 receptions. He was also named by coaches to the All-SEC Freshman squad and earned Freshman All-America recognition.

Barden had three catches for 38 yards versus Western Carolina.

RB Zac Stacy is an athlete in a small package at 5'10", 194 lbs. Don't let his size fool you. This kid can flat out run and play, as he showed as a tailback at Bibb County High School in Alabama.

"What a great young man and football player," Bibb County football coach Mike Battles said. "Zac is everything you'd want in a running back. The great ones play their best against the best. Zac had his best games in the big games."

Stacy started his season off with a bang, recording 20 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown.

RB Warren Norman is just like Stacy. He is 5'10", 188 lbs., but he can flat out play ball.

His high school coach was quoted as saying, "On the field, Warren is a physical running back with the type of speed that can be hard to contain on the outside. He's a guy that runs through tackles, a hard guy to bring down. He also has great hands out of the backfield catching the football."

Norman started off with a bang, racking up 105 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns against Western Carolina.

Norman and Stacy are freshmen and Smith and Barden are red shirt sophomores, so the future is bright for the Commodores.