Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea (Photo: © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)
South Carolina will enter the matchup having won 16-straight over Vanderbilt. Last year, the Gamecocks traveled to Nashville and defeated the then-ranked No. 24 Commodores by a score of 28-7.
Last season, head coach Clark Lea's Vanderbilt squad turned in a strong season as it finished the year with a 7-6 record which included a 35-27 win over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl to cap the season. The victory over the Yellow Jackets was the Commodores' first bowl victory since 2013.
Vanderbilt returns its starting quarterback in Diego Pavia, who played a big part in leading the Commodores to a bowl game and victory over Georgia Tech. In his first season in Nashville, Pavia threw for 2,293 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions on 177-of-298 passing. He also led the team in rushing with 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 193 carries.
Lea and staff also return one of the top tight ends in the country in Eli Stowers, who turned in a strong 2024 campaign with a team-high 49 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns.
Wide receiver Junior Sherrill, the Commodores' top wide receiver statistically last season, also returns as he logged 411 yards receiving and three touchdowns in 2024. The Commodores will have to replace Quincy Skinner Jr. and Loic Fouonji, who tallied 367 and 187 yards receiving, respectively.
The Commodores return their top three tacklers from 2024 in linebackers Bryan Longwell (89 tackles) and Langston Patterson (78) as well as safety Randon Fontenette (72). At linebacker, Nick Rinaldi also returns after logging 52 tackles including six sacks.
In the secondary, the Commodores have to replace safeties De'Rickey Wright and CJ Taylor who combined for 102 tackles a year ago.
On the defensive line, Vanderbilt will see Khordae Sydnor and Miles Capers make their way back to Nashville for the 2025 season after combining for seven sacks. Capers, who's from Sumter, finished the season with 46 tackles with eight being for loss.