Key departures and additions for Mizzou opponents: Vanderbilt
We're a little less than a month away from SEC Media Days in Dallas. With the offseason slowly but surely winding down, there’s still enough time to talk about the acquisitions and departures Missouri's 2024 (and 2025) conference opponents have made.
First, Vanderbilt, which is the Tigers' first conference opponent. The two teams will match up in Week 4 on Sept. 21.
Last season's record: 2-10
Key departures: DE Nate Clifton, QB AJ Swann, QB Ken Seals, LB Ethan Barr, DB Savion Riley, WR London Humphreys, WR Jayden McGowan, Will Sheppard
Key additions: CB Micah Bell, QB Nate Johnson, TE Eli Stowers, QB Diego Pavia, WR Jeremiah Dillon, OL Steven Hubbard, DE Khordae Sydnor, S Randon Fontenette
Key departures
The Commodores lost 25 players to the transfer portal but the most negative impacting ones probably are Swann, Humphreys, McGowan and Sheppard.
Swann was the team's QB1 and was limited to six games last year due to injury. He completed 54.6% of his passes for 1,457 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Humphreys, McGowan and Sheppard made up part of a receiving room that Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said was one of the best in college football heading into their Week 5 matchup last year.
Sheppard led in the top three receiving categories with 47 receptions, 684 yards and eight touchdowns. He's been Vandy's top receiver for several seasons and now is with Deion Sanders at Colorado.
Humphreys had a big role as a true freshman with 22 receptions and 439 yards and four touchdowns. He transferred to Georgia.
McGowan had the second-most receptions on the team with 36 to go with 383 yards. He also was a threat out of the backfield racking up 18 carries for 109 yards (6.1 yards per carry). He decided to go to Boston College.
In addition to these four, Clifton led the team in sacks with 5.5 and was second in tackles for loss at 7.5. Seals started six games at quarterback for Swann. Lastly, Barr and Riley were among the team's top five tacklers with the former recording 55 and the latter recording 48.
Key additions
Bell comes to Vanderbilt after playing three games and recording one tackle and one tackle for loss as a freshman for Notre Dame in 2023. Bell was a four-star prospect when he signed with Notre Dame and is Vandy's highest-rated transfer addition, according to the Rivals transfer tracker at No. 317.
Johnson played in eight games as a redshirt freshman at Utah and completed 54.2% of his passes for 499 yards and and three touchdowns.
Stowers and Pavia both transferred from New Mexico State. The former is a tight end who also at times plays quarterback. He had 35 receptions for 366 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 108 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
Pavia won the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year after he recorded 2,973 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Aggies in 2023. So, in likelihood, he will start for the Commodores this year.
Dillon is a former four-star Ole Miss receiver who never played a snap for the Rebels.
Hubbard started five games at left tackle for UTEP last season and a run-blocking grade of 75.8 and a pass-blocking grade of 73.5. He gave up just one quarterback hit and committed two penalties.
Fontenette recorded 16 tackles in 12 games last season for TCU.
Overall, Vandy regressed last year after going 5-7 in 2022, and the same can be said about the team after the amount of talent it lost this offseason.
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