Every year there are several under-the-radar players that can help make or break a team's season.
For Vanderbilt football, the quarterback competition has taken center stage, but there are several other areas where under-the-radar players could have big impacts.
Throughout the offense and defense are players, whether freshmen, transfers or returners, whose names casual fans may not know. But several of them could have a significant impact on Vanderbilt's 2026 season, which begins at FirstBank Stadium against Austin Peay on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+).
Here are some names to know:
WR Kahden Smith
Smith is a true freshman and a three-star recruit. Normally, someone like this would play primarily on special teams – but he was singled out by wide receivers coach
Alex Bailey as a younger player who has stood out so far and the amount of effort he puts in. He's at a position of need, too, giving him the opportunity to carve out a role.
OL Clinton Azubuike
Azubuike transferred from Northern Arizona ahead of the 2025 season, but he didn't make an appearance that year as he adjusted to the SEC. Vanderbilt has often used one-year transfer linemen and undersized tackles, but Azubuike has legitimate SEC size at 6-foot-8 and 310 pounds. He just hasn't proven anything yet. If he can handle the level of play, he could level up the Commodores' offensive line and give Vanderbilt more than a one-year solution.
CB Cayden Daniels
Daniels is a sophomore who was not one of Vanderbilt's higher-rated recruits in the 2025 class. But he's worked his way near the top of the depth chart throughout the spring and preseason after recording six tackles in five games in 2025.
One cornerback role is up for grabs alongside Martel Hight, and Daniels is one of the favorites to earn it if he can outplay veterans like Jordan Matthews and Jaylin Lackey.
Edge Mason Carter
Carter, who played in all 13 games last season but recorded just three tackles, has been a frequent standout during the spring practices, but it hasn't always translated to games.
Carter, who is 6-5 and 251 pounds, will have to contend with a lot of experience at edge from both returners and transfers, including Miles Capers, Brian Allen and Edwin Kolenge. But if Carter, who is the tallest of the bunch, can work his way into significant snaps, it should elevate the level of play of the entire defense.
LB Bryce Cowan
Cowan has been around a long time − this is his fifth year, and he's stayed around this long without transferring despite never being a starter. That alone speaks to Cowan's own loyalty and work ethic, as well as the fact that the coaching staff still believes in him.
Cowan himself has said that he's seen a confidence boost, and his coaches say that he's started to become a more violent player, simply refusing to be blocked.
In an experienced linebacker room with returners like Bryan Longwell and Nick Rinaldi, Cowan could play a variety of roles. He could be a more traditional linebacker, see time as a rusher off the edge, or become a special teams ace, as he's proven in the past to be adept at blocking kicks.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 5 Vanderbilt football players you may not know now, but will in 2026
