Why Vanderbilt football brought back former QB Walter Taylor as tight end

Vanderbilt football wasn't sure if it needed another tight end during the end of the winter transfer portal window. When the coaching staff made the decision to move Brycen Coleman to wide receiver, the need became apparent. The Commodores went for a unique player they felt was a low risk/high reward pickup: former quarterback Walter Taylor .

Taylor played at Vanderbilt in 2022 and 2023, where he stood out for his 6-foot-7 frame and big left-handed arm strength. But he never panned out as a quarterback with the Commodores, nor at Colorado or Ball State. Since Taylor originally left Vanderbilt, most of the staff has changed over.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck checked with Taylor and he was open to a change. "We had people here before I got here that knew Walt when he played, and I remember going back and watching Walt play against Mississippi State on video, and he did some really, really good things," Beck said. "We just felt like he was somebody that could maybe make that transition.

" Eli Stowers was a notable quarterback-to-tight end conversion success story. He went from injured quarterback at Texas A&M to tight end at New Mexico State under Beck to All-American at Vanderbilt. The success of Stowers has the staff hoping it could be repeatable with a player like Taylor.