Vanderbilt’s front line is terrifying for opponents. In the 3-5-2, the 2 forwards/strikers have a lot of freedom of movement. They can stay central or drift into wide spaces to let the CAM replace them centrally or have onrushing wide midfielders overlap or underlap. That freedom being given to very intelligent players is a recipe for danger.
Sydney Watts is a player that was referred to as Vanderbilt’s Harry Kane by someone close to the program just after her commitment. I rolled my eyes at the comparison
to one of the best finishers in the world, but Watts has lived up to the billing. She did not get onto the scoresheet in 378 minutes across 15 matches (no starts) as a freshman, but she contributed 9 goals and an assist in 1,359 minutes across 21 games (20 starts) as a sophomore. Then she dominated the 2026 season by finding the back of the net 16 times with 3 assists in 24 matches (all starts). She fired off 80 shots and put 45 on target. In 5 games, she had the decisive tally.
Statistically, she ranked 1st in the SEC in shots at 80 (tied for first), points at 35 (2 points per goal and 1 per assist), goals at 16 (next closest had 12), goals per game at 0.67 (2nd was 0.61). It was an overpowering individual performance done without the flair other players have. In a Kane-like fashion, Watts always manages to find the right place to be as teammates get into dangerous passing positions. Then she converts her chances with lethal efficiency.
The prolific output did not go unnoticed. She was a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist (top honor in college soccer), was on TopDrawer Soccer’s Best XI Second Team, TDS’s #13 on their Top 100 Players list, a United Soccer Coach’s First Team All-American, the SEC Forward of the Year, All-SEC First Team, and SEC All-Tournament Team.
As much as I can espouse the effectiveness of Watts, all of the attention being on her is exactly the sort of problem other teams have to avoid. She is not the only player in the Commodores’ attack capable of ruining the night for opposing back lines and goalkeepers. The real question is more about how each weapon around her is deployed. I talked about it in the Midfielders preview, but it could be Megan Hinnenkamp, Olivia Stafford, Ella Eggleston, or maybe even Vicky Pugh or freshman Mia Hebert.
Stafford mostly played at wide midfield early in the season but also started seeing time at striker beside Watts as the season wore on. She took the 8th most shots in the SEC at 53 and tied for 1st in assists at 8 with 3 other players. Her assists per game ranking was “only” 6th at 0.33 assists per game. She has spent two stints with the USA’s U19 National Team over the summer. Stafford is a dangerous dribbler who will leave almost any defender trying to handle her one-on-one in space looking silly. Then, as the assists numbers say, she will find Watts or other teammates for the goal. Her best position is probably beside Watts up top, but it may be best for the team to put her in wide areas where she take apart defenders in space then create odd-numbered attacks where her playmaking sets up simple goals.
Eggleston, if she can return to full fitness and sharpness, provides a lot of the same abilities as Stafford in a slightly less polished package. She may be even faster though, so it may be an even better way to pull teams apart as they try to focus on Watts up top and Stafford out wide. That could leave Eggleston isolated on defenders who will not be as fast as her for Stafford or any other midfielders to find on through balls. She has 8 goals and 4 assists in 36 games (15 starts) as a Commodore.
Hinnenkamp was Co-Freshman of the Year in the SEC along with being All-SEC Second Team in 2023. She scored 8 goals in her first year in Gainesville. Then Hinnenkamp suffered an injury in preseason for the 2024 season and missed the entirety. She came back in 2025 and started one less game than she did in 2023, but managed only 3 assists on a Florida team that was a disappointing 2-3-5 in the SEC. The Gators were 13th in the SEC at only 1.44 goals per game. Hinnenkamp will have a chance to return to her freshman form with another full offseason to round into form. The talent around her will also be a marked improvement. She should have more time and room to operate with defensive attention shared among so many attacking threats.
Another second-year Commodore could also be heavily involved up top, even if just as a substitute. Vicky Pugh played 451 minutes across 17 matches (2 starts) and opened her Commodore scoring account in match number one against Austin Peay. Unfortunately, that was the extent of her goal contributions. She was a useful sub with good energy and athleticism. Her minutes likely increase, but the backup role is probably where she is stuck.
The last, but far from least, Commodore to be previewed is freshman Mia Hebert. Frankly, I knew nothing about her, just like all of the other freshmen. Her Twitter profile claims being a 2-time 1st Team ECNL All Midwest and 4x 1st Team All-State player along with being Kansas’s 2024 All-State POY. Her high school Notre Dame de Sion is in Class 3, so they were 1 classification off the top of the pyramid of school size in Missouri. That adds some emphasis to the All-State POY and 1st Team All-State honors. Even still, I would not expect her to force too much playing time. I have been wrong before.
That wraps up every single Commodore on the 2026-27 soccer roster. Just over 24 hours from now, they will be on the pitch for the first match of the season when SMU comes to Nashville at 7 PM. I will have a full season overview to go with the match preview and game thread.
