Vanderbilt injury update: Clark Lea provides latest on health of DBs

Vanderbilt was limited in the secondary in a game against Alabama last week, with a handful of top options out at the position. Coach Clark Lea provided more updates on Tuesday as the team reconvened following a bye.

The good news is the program is getting healthier. The bad news is it’s not quite all the way there.

“In terms of health, I mean Marlon Jones and Mark Davis ended up not playing against Alabama,” Lea pointed out. “Kolbey (Taylor) just cramped, so he’s fine.”

The Vanderbilt coach offered further updates on the two who were out against the Crimson Tide. He individually updated the progress of both Jones and Davis, starting with Davis.

“Mark has been back in practice, so he’s anticipated available this weekend, dealing with some lingering soreness really,” Lea said. “And Mark’s as tough as they come. I mean this guy’s been through so much. That guy knows his body, and he’s going to do everything he can to be out there, and he just wasn’t able to get through practice the Alabama week. Needed the bye week to kind of get back healthy. But he’s in good position now.”

Jones might be a little further away from a return for Vanderbilt. But nothing has been taken off the table yet ahead of a contest against LSU.

“Marlon’s still coming back from a hamstring, so hopefully he can work his way to available,” Lea said. “Did not practice today. He ran and he trained, but he wasn’t out there with us for the football work. So we’ve got to give that time.”

Elsewhere, Vanderbilt is working to develop further depth so that future injuries won’t be quite as detrimental. That’s key in a league when players take a beating on a weekly basis.

Lea feels good about where things are right now. He explained.

“Otherwise we’re in good shape in that room,” he said. “Martel (Hight) did play more at corner. I think we, the further, the deeper we go in this, the more we realize we need him to be a great coverage player for us. And when push comes to shove in our conference play, like we need him to be a sticky corner that can challenge routes and making sure he gets snap exposure in practice, and reps in the game are an important part of maturing, that he’s the player that we need him to be here through the middle, the teeth, of our schedule.

“So that was intentional and we’ll continue that plan. And he’ll still have snaps on offense, too, and obviously snaps as the returner, but we want him to be a really good corner for us.”

Overall, though, Vanderbilt is in much better position than it was in a week ago. The Alabama game was tough from that standpoint.

“Feel good about depth,” Lea said. “Obviously like any team midseason, a little bumped and bruised, but guys are coming back and on the whole we’re maintaining our depth.”