Clark Lea expects a quick acclimation back to football for Miles Capers, Bradley Mann

Clark Lea has high hopes for Miles Capers and Bradley Mann. On Wednesday, the Vanderbilt head coach discussed his two defenders’ return from injury.

“They both had really good offseasons,” Lea said. “I know they’re both really excited, and they’ve gotten themselves to a point where I expect a quick acclimation back into playing. There’s still a process involved in that. So it’s gonna take time to get them full go, but it’s good to have them out here, and they both worked really, really hard to get to this point. So however long it takes them to get back to their top speed — I actually feel like their best will be a little bit better than it was before, just because they worked for it.”

Capers missed all last season after suffering a knee injury in fall camp. Not much better, Martin played just three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury, as well. Martin recorded three tackles, one for loss, in his collegiate debut against Wake Forest.

It was obvious both injuries took a toll on Lea last season.

“He’ll be out for the remainder of the season, and he’ll end up with season-ending surgery,” Lea said regarding Mann. “Obviously, any time that happens, it’s hard. But I think Bradley also got some great game experience this season and I think showed flashes of the player that we recruited. So we’re excited for him to recover and have a full recover and stay on course to be a play-maker for us. Tough losing him, but also excited about what lies ahead for him.”

Lea also released a similar statement when Capers went down with an injury.

“When our teammates hurt, we hurt, and we certainly hurt for Miles right now,” Lea said in a statement. “He has the full support of our program as he begins his journey back. Miles is part of the heartbeat of our program, and he will strengthen the team this fall through his presence and fighting spirit.”

Lea will need that fighting experience from both of the players this fall. Entering his third season, Lea has more pressure on him than ever. Last season, the 41-year-old coach led Vanderbilt to a 5-7 record. Nonetheless, the defense wasn’t up to par without Capers and Mann.

For the second-straight season, the Commodores had the worst scoring defense in the SEC. Moreover, the team allowed opponents the most passing yards per attempt (8.7). Lea believes the Commodores will gradually right their ship.

“Winning is important, but winning a certain way. Winning the right way. Having integrity. So we’re going to design a program that functions that way. I believe in that. I think that human connection is important. I think that connection bigger than yourself is important, and shared suffering and sacrifice are critical to forging the bonds that you need to sustain success through adversity. We won’t waver in our approach,” Lea said earlier this year at SEC Spring Meetings.