What we learned from Vanderbilt football's first preseason practice

Vanderbilt football opened preseason practices for the 2023 season Wednesday, although players were not in full pads.
Coach Clark Lea said he felt the first practice went better than his two previous seasons at Vanderbilt, and the Commodores are a little healthier, too. Although tight end Cole Spence and offensive lineman Jake Ketschek are out for the season with ACL injuries, Lea said there were no other long-term ailments and that the team avoided any soft-tissue injuries Wednesday.
That's especially positive, Lea said, because Vanderbilt plays a week before the majority of the country with its season opener Aug. 26 at home against Hawaii.
Here are three takeaways from the first preseason practice:
Defensive line versatility
In his fifth year at Vanderbilt, defensive end Nate Clifton said he's going to play a variety of roles. Although he's used to playing more on the edge, Clifton said he plans to play inside a lot more in 2023. That was especially the case with Christian James dealing with an injury.
"It's definitely what you're going to see more of this season," Clifton said. "I play both 3-tech as well as end, especially with the injury to CJ, Christian James. We need that role filled."
Darren Agu, who played at the star position last season, has moved into more of a traditional defensive end role that also allows him the versatility to play at multiple spots.
Defensive lineman Bradley Mann and star Miles Capes both missed time in 2022 with lower-body injuries, with Capers missing the entire season. Both players were back in practice Wednesday. By the first game, those players should be full-go, adding even more depth along the line.
Martel Hight impressing
True freshman cornerback Martel Hight was Vanderbilt's top recruit at a position where help is sorely needed. With Jeremy Lucien out of eligibility and Jadais Richard transferring to Miami, someone will need to step up at cornerback.
Hight could be that guy. He made standout plays even on the first day of practice and in addition to defense, he also worked on the punt return team.
"Martel has a confidence about him," Lea said. "I've enjoyed watching them catch punts. I think that's exciting. He has a knack for the ball and he's shown some some flashes that way, seems very confident, comfortable and we just got to keep growing them up in our systems. But I think at that position, we'd love to have a young guy step up and help us and there's no reason to think that he can't."
Walk-ons may contribute
One thing Lea is proud of is expanding the number of quality walk-ons his program has brought in. In 2021, the team had fewer than 100 players despite using all 85 scholarships; this season the roster is at 114.
While most walk-ons in the SEC play very few snaps, Vanderbilt has a handful who could contribute. Primary among them is tight end Chris Boyle, a transfer from Brown who could see a large role with Spence's injury. The Commodores have also added fullback Gabe Fisher from Montgomery Bell Academy after not having a fullback on the roster in 2022. Jacob Borcila, a kicker transfer from Kansas, and wide receiver Richie Hoskins are two others who could see time.
"We're finding guys that love football that want to be involved in an SEC program," Lea said. "We're finding guys that are going to help us win games on the field as walk-ons, which is exciting. ... Getting that walk on program to the point where it's a vibrant part of our team and it builds into our football culture has been an early mission and we're on the right track."