Vanderbilt football is back from its bye week and will hit the road again this weekend as it travels down to Starkville, Mississippi with a date against Mississippi State.
The Commodores have lost five in a row and are in desperate need for a win, especially if they want to stave off elimination from bowl eligibility. But before Vanderbilt goes to Davis-Wade Stadium this weekend, it is time to find out who will be available for kickoff.
The SEC released initial player availability reports Wednesday night for all SEC matchups this weekend. For Vanderbilt, there is some good news and bad news as it relates to the first injury report of the week.
Starting with the good news, it seems there is a good chance Vanderbilt will get a few players back this weekend. EDGE Brian Allen Jr., cornerback Jaylin Lackey and linebacker Jamison Curtis are all listed as "probable" for the game this weekend. Allen Jr. was out last game against Kentucky with an ankle injury while both Lackey and Curtis have been out several weeks with soft tissue injuries. With all three listed as probable, the Commodores will likely get depth pieces on defense back.
Elsewhere on the injury report are defensive lineman Nikhil Jefferson and EDGE Khalil Poteat, who are both listed as "questionable" for the game.
The bad news is that the Commodores have six players "out" on the injury report. Vanderbilt already knew it was missing backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz for about a month and offensive lineman Gunner Givens and defensive lineman Aaron Bryant with season-ending injuries.
Monday, Lea announced that linebacker Josiah Broxton tore his ACL the week leading up to the Kentucky game and running back Evan Hampton broke a bone in his lower leg against the Wildcats. Both of those injuries are season-ending. Vanderbilt will also be without linebacker Daniel Vollmer Jr. with a hernia injury. As of now Vollmer Jr.'s return timetable is not known.
Despite the injuries the team is dealing with, Vanderbilt will look to get its first win of conference play this weekend and snap a five-game losing streak against the Bulldogs. Vanderbilt and Mississippi State kickoff at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
"We're excited for the challenge. A nice road challenge and a great environment. This will be an important week for us to put together our best three-phase effort and go play some good football. That's what we need to do," Lea said.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/vanderbilt as Vanderbilt Football Injury Report Before Game Against Mississippi State .
