For all the excitement, promise and potential Vanderbilt has shown on the defensive side of the ball, the Commodores' defense is not perfect. In fact, very few defenses in college football are perfect.
Though Vanderbilt was one of the better run defenses in the country last season, the pass defense could have been better and it needs to be better this fall if it wants to build off last year's historic season.
One way to improve the pass defense would be to bring more pressure from the inside part of the defensive line. For Vanderbilt, one defensive lineman has made that his priority. Vanderbilt defensive lineman Glenn Seabrooks III has put an emphasis on his pass defense this offseason and in fall camp.
"I've talked to my coaches, I don't just want to be a run stopper. I want to be someone that causes havoc in the backfield. And I've started to do more on that, whether it's disengaging blocks or just coming off the ball, especially focusing on get off," Seabrooks III said.
It did not take long for the realization to hit Seabrooks III that he needed to elevate that level of his game. When the offseason first hit in January, he knew he had to be more impactful. As the offseason got closer to the summer time, Seabrooks III began thinking about his role for the 2026 season and the impact he could bring.
And sure enough, the answer to his thinking was focus on becoming a more disruptive player on the defensive line.
To begin every day, Seabrooks III and the rest of the defensive line hit the four-man sleds to improve on their initial get off moves, pad level and movement with hands and feet. It is a drill that Seabrooks III understands the results it can produce, especially for him.
"That's one thing I struggled with is that I would get into double teams and just sit in there. And sometimes you do necessarily need to do that, but my feet would just stop a majority of the time. And so I was really emphasizing on running my feet after contact," Seabrooks III said.
Last season, Vanderbilt was 108th in the country and third down conversion percentage on defense and 116th in the country in passing yards allowed. That means the Commodores struggled in a couple things: bringing enough pass rush and bringing enough pressure when it matters the most.
Those are numbers that have to change without question. Seabrooks III and his teammates may not know those numbers off the top of their head, but there has been an emphasis from the coaching staff for the inside part of the defensive line to create more pressure.
Seabrooks III is a self-described "bull rush" defensive lineman that may not have quite the moves that a defensive end would, but that is exactly why he has honed in on his pass rush skillset throughout the offseason.
It is one thing for Vanderbilt's EDGEs to get pressure on opponents, but if the Commodores are able to bring more pressure from the inside part of the line, it will add a level of danger to Vanderbilt's defense.
"I'm really excited because I think our pass rush game is coming along. I think we've made really good strides as a unit, which is hard because of the timing that you need for those things to work out. So it's been good. I'm really excited about the group," Vanderbilt defensive linemen coach Seth Payne said.
The ability for the interior of Vanderbilt's defensive line to get home when it matters most or lack thereof is going to be one of the more important things to watch for from the Commodores' defense. It may not necessarily determine the trajectory of the season, but it can certainly take pressure off other defensive position rooms.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/vanderbilt as Glenn Seabrooks III Wants to be More Disruptive for Vanderbilt Football .
