10 questions for the Commodores

Mackenzi Adams will battle for the starting QB job starting on Friday. File

Vanderbilt opens football practice on Friday with its sights set on snapping a 25-year losing streak.

Can it be done while playing in the dog-eat-dog world of the Southeastern Conference?

The Commodores have several questions that need to be answered first before opening the season in 29 days at Miami of Ohio. Here are the top 10 stories to follow:

Who will start at quarterback?

Coach Bobby Johnson would never use the phrase “quarterback controversy,” so let’s call it a “quarterback dilemma.” Vanderbilt finished 107th in the nation in passing last season among 118 teams. That can’t happen again if success is to come. Senior Chris Nickson and junior Mackenzi Adams shared duties last year, and neither seized control in the spring. Nickson probably has the upper hand in this battle, but can he regain his form of 2006, when he rang up 2,779 yards of total offense?

Who will start at right offensive guard?

Although the Commodores will feature five new starters on the offensive line this fall, four positions will be manned by juniors with plenty of experience. Uncertainty lingers at right guard, where inexperienced junior Drew Gardner emerged from the spring as a starter but might be forced to fight off promising redshirt freshman Kyle Fischer, who some believe is a future star either at guard or tackle.

Is Brandon Bryant recovered and ready to play?

The athletically gifted Bryant began 2007 as a starting outside linebacker, but wrist and leg injuries forced him to miss the second half of the season. Then he sat out all of spring drills with a leg fracture. Vanderbilt must replace Jonathan Goff and Marcus Buggs, standout starters at linebackers last season, and a healthy Bryant would help make that task easier.

Where is Jamie Graham going to play?

The Nashville native made headlines over the winter by serving as a reserve walk-on guard for the Vanderbilt basketball team. But he’s at VU to play football and is ready to hit the field after redshirting last year. Coaches moved Graham from cornerback to wide receiver in the spring because he’s too talented to keep off the field and because the VU secondary is loaded. The Commodores need receivers to emerge this season, creating a prime chance for Graham to impress during training camp.

Will any true freshmen emerge?

Vanderbilt’s crop of 21 true freshmen reported to campus Tuesday, and one or more is sure to make a case for playing time in the coming weeks. The early money is on wide receiver John Cole of Somerset, Ky., who set state records for career receiving yards and touchdowns and single-season receiving yards. Look at it this way: VU has no current receiver who has ever caught more than 32 passes in a season. Opportunities for playing time are aplenty.

Which redshirt freshmen are ready to play?

The most notable is aggressive middle linebacker Chris Marve, who could have played last season but served an apprenticeship under Goff. Don’t be surprised if Marve lands in the starting lineup. At the least, he will get plenty of snaps. Others to watch are Fischer, wide receiver Udom Umoh, tight end Brandon Barden, defensive tackle T.J. Greenstone and quarterback Larry Smith.

Who takes over at the defensive tackle slots?

The 2007 starters at these spots, Theo Horrocks and Gabe Hall, have departed after turning in winning efforts a year ago. VU finds itself precariously thin at this spot [as always] and needs injury-free seasons from projected starters Greg Billinger and Smyrna native Adam Smotherman. Depth behind them is dicey. Billinger, a one-time Georgia commitment, was a spring star and needs to carry it over into the heat of July and August workouts.

Is Bryant Hahnfeldt in danger of losing his job?

It’s been a topsy-turvy three years at Vanderbilt for place-kicker Hahnfeldt, who has made only 33 of 54 field-goal attempts while nursing an assortment of injuries. Incoming freshman Ryan Fowler was an all-state pick in South Carolina last season and might be ready to make a push in training camp. Hahnfeldt had virtually no competition last year, but that will change this time.

Who has the most to prove during training camp?

Nickson, without a doubt. At this time last year, he appeared to be on the verge of stardom and was one of the most feared multi-dimensional quarterbacks in the SEC. Injuries and poor play derailed his 2007 season and so too, perhaps, Vanderbilt’s bowl hopes. Nickson’s VU legacy will be written in 2008.

Who will be the starting tailback?

An August battle is shaping up between Jared Hawkins and Jeff Jennings, with Gaston Miller waiting in the wings. Hawkins, who has led the team in average yards per carry for each of the past two seasons, delivered a promising spring performance. Jennings, the most experienced of the group, is reportedly in the best shape of his career. Both should receive ample carries. Miller, a former Mr. Football Award winner at Murfreesboro’s Riverdale High, has earned high praise from Johnson this summer.