Vanderbilt Offensive Players to Watch vs. Mizzou in Week 7

Vanderbilt’s offense should be one Missouri can handle.

The Missouri Tigers Week 7 home matchup with the Vanderbilt Commodores should be a bit of a relief for the Tigers. By the time the Commodores come to Columbia, Mizzou will have faced reigning national champion Georgia, as well as SEC East rival Florida in the two games prior.

With all due respect to the Commodores, it should be a bit easier task for the Tigers than the Bulldogs and the Gators.

In 2021, Vanderbilt finished an SEC-worst 2-10 (including a 20-point blowout by FCS East Tennessee State in the season opener) and was 118th in both offense and total defense out of 130 FBS teams.

In terms of sheer scoring, Vanderbilt’s offense could only generate 15.8 points per contest. That statistic ranked at No. 128 in the FBS and dead last in the SEC.

Not much help is on the way for head coach Clark Lea in his second season at the helm for Vandy, but the Black and Gold does have some talent on their roster. If the Commodores can find an identity and some sense of fluidity, they may not be the doormat that everyone’s predicting.

Let’s take a look at some of the key offensive players for Vanderbilt going into this SEC East clash.

Re’Mahn Davis Running Back

Davis transferred from Temple before the 2021 season and looked like Vandy’s best player through the first three games before suffering a season-ending injury. He recorded 211 yards and a score on the ground in those three starts. 

From 2020, Davis racked up 938 yards and eight touchdowns. If he can return to his prior form, he might be Vanderbilt's go-to offensive player.

Will Sheppard Wide Receiver

2021 was a breakout season for Sheppard, who was one of the lone bright spots in the Commodores' passing game. He snagged 43 catches for 577 yards and four touchdowns in a season rife with quarterback troubles. 

He looked like a legitimate offensive weapon despite the two passers (quarterbacks Ken Seals and Mike Wright) in Vandy’s dual quarterback system combining for more picks (14) than touchdowns (13) on the year.

Rocko Griffin Running Back

Although Davis was the Commodores' Week 1 starter, Griffin filled in nicely and ended up leading the team in rushing. He chalked up 517 yards and four touchdowns, which may not sound like much but keep in mind it was behind the SEC’s worst offensive line. Griffin had back-to-back 100-yard games against No. 12 Ole Miss and Tennessee, with scores in each, to end the season.

Jayden McGowan Wide Receiver 

McGown is an incoming freshman, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities to get on the field with a depleted receiving core. This past year, he was the South Carolina 4A state champ in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. His natural speed at receiver will be a need for Vandy, who ranked 126 out of 130 on pass plays of 20 yards or more.

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