Spring game: March 25, 7 p.m. ET

After posting a 7-17 record through his first two seasons in Nashville, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason assuredly enters 2016 spring practice with a heightened sense of urgency for better on-field production.

The wins have been hard to come by. One thing the Commodores can take away from their 4-8 season in 2015 was a significantly improved defense, which was no doubt the result of Mason’s heavy influence on the unit after firing former defensive coordinator David Kotulski and adding the coordinator role to his list of responsibilities.

And while the unit brings back many of its playmakers from last fall, the Commodores will still have some kinks to work out as Mason continues to try to mold the Vanderbilt defense into his vision for a successful 3-4 scheme.

“It’s going to be a good spring for us,” Mason said on Friday.

“We tweaked this defense a little bit, so you’re going to see some guys in different positions. I think it’s going to give you a true sense of what we’re trying to do. More speed on the field and a different, athletic look.”

Offensively, the Commodores have been lackluster in both seasons under Mason. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s first season as the play caller did not offer a significant upgrade over the 2014 output that left former OC Karl Dorrell fired after just one season.

“This football team has grown up a little bit,” Mason said. “I want to see what these guys have learned so that we can move forward.”

THREE BIG QUESTIONS

1. Can the Commodores find an offensive rhythm in OC Andy Ludwig’s second season?

The heat will be on the Commodores’ offense to find a way to be better than 117th out of 128 FBS teams in total offense (326.5 yards per game) and 124th in scoring offense (15.2 per game).

Ludwig may have inherited a mess when he arrived from his previous post at Wisconsin early in 2015, but he also did not do anything to show tangible improvement from the previous season. The Commodores actually scored less points under Ludwig in 2015 than they did in under Dorrell in 2014.

So will Ludwig’s second season be better?

The Commodores return RB Ralph Webb, who has been the cornerstone of the offense, offers a solid base on which to build a running game.

But graduation hit the Commodores on the interior of the offensive line and at tight end, meaning the group that paved the way for Webb’s 1,152 yards rushing in 2015 will look different this spring.

The true answer to the question is likely to come from Ludwig’s ability to stabilize the quarterback position and extract some production out of a largely unproven group of receivers.

2. Is Kyle Shurmur the long-term answer at QB?

Derek Mason ended the 2015 season by stating that he felt the Commodores had found their new quarterback in true freshman Kyle Shumur.

But as spring practice rolls around, Mason clearly doesn’t want him to feel comfortable in the role of top dog.

“I thought Shurmur ended the season as the quarterback,” Mason said. “But here’s what you do — 2015 has got nothing to do with 2016. You recalibrate it and you let these guys come out and compete. Let’s see if he’s the guy that we think he is. We have some idea of what he can do, but now he has got to continue to show true mettle. He’s still young.”

Last year’s starter, Johnny McCrary, has decided to transfer out of the program. Shurmur’s competition is likely to come from Wade Freebeck, Shawn Stankavage and Deuce Wallace.

You can read an in-depth breakdown of the Vanderbilt quarterback situation here.

3. What’s the health status of three key contributors?

Vanderbilt was without three of its best players for the majority of the 2015 season.

WR C.J. Duncan and OT Andrew Jelks were lost to season-ending leg injuries during fall camp, and LB Nigel Bowden missed the majority of the year after an early-season concussion.

As a freshman, Duncan led Commodores receivers with 441 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Bowden, also a freshman at the time, led the 2014 team with 78 tackles. Jelks was the team’s starting left tackle, and is expected to be the anchor of the offensive line this fall.

Mason said that Bowden is expected to be on the field when practices start on Monday, but the status of Duncan and Jelks is less clear.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH

  • DB Joejuan Williams: The prize of the 2016 recruiting class, he’s big (6-2, 195 pounds), fast and physical. The four-star recruit could see the field immediately this fall if he shows he can produce during spring practice.
  • DB Zaire Jones: Another talented early-enrollee for Mason’s defensive backfield. He turned down other SEC offers to be a part of this defense, and he’s not likely to redshirt if he shows that he is ready to play this spring.
  • QB Deuce Wallace: The Commodores have had a revolving door at the quarterback position in recent seasons, and Mason has showed a willingness to start a true freshman there during each of his two seasons in Nashville.

OFFENSIVE STARTERS TO REPLACE

  • OG Jake Bernstein
  • C Spencer Pulley
  • TE Steven Scheu

While Steven Scheu was one of the offensive’s better receiving options in recent seasons, the Commodores are likely to miss his leadership qualities more than his stat line in 2016.

Nathan Marcus is a talented pass catcher that could replicate Scheu’s production at tight end if he’s able to eliminate the drops that have plagued him early in his career, and former wide receiver DeAndre Woods also showed promise at tight end before suffering a season-ending injury last season.

Losing both Pulley and Scheu signifies a changing of the guard on the interior of the Commodores line, as each of them contributed significantly during the previous three seasons.

New offensive line coach Cameron Norcross may have the most important job on the team in finding a rotation of eight or nine linemen that can provide some stability up front for an offense that struggled with protection at times last season.

DEFENSIVE STARTERS TO REPLACE

  • OLB Stephen Weatherly
  • S Andrew Williamson
  • LB Darreon Herring
  • DE Caleb Azubike

Herring, Azubike and Williamson were all departures due to graduation, so they should’ve been properly accounted for during the recruiting process.

The one departure that may end up hurting the Commodores the most is Weatherly, who decided to forgo his final season of eligibility to take a shot at the NFL draft.

Weatherly was the team’s most dangerous edge rusher in the 3-4 scheme. Look for former four-star recruit Josh Smith to be an option as part of Mason’s attempt to replace his production. Smith earned playing time as a true freshman in 2015.

Jonathan Wynn and Dare Odeyingbo are potential solutions at the defensive end spot vacated by Azubike, while Ryan White and Emmanuel Smith are candidates to replace Williamson at safety.

Bowden is liking to slide back into the lineup spot vacated by Herring, which could make for half of one of the league’s better inside linebacking duos alongside Zach Cunningham.

TOP RETURNERS BY CATEGORY

Top returning passer: Kyle Shurmur (503 yards in 2015)
Top returning rusher: Ralph Webb (1,152 yards in 2015)
Top returning receiver: Trent Sherfield (659 yards in 2015)
Top returning tackler: Zach Cunningham (103 in 2015)
Top returning pass rusher: Zach Cunningham (4.5 sacks in 2015)
Top returning pass defender: Torren McGaster (13 breakups in 2015)

POSITION OF CONCERN: WIDE RECEIVER

The Commodores must become more balanced on offense.

Part of the reason that Vanderbilt has struggled scoring points under Derek Mason is certainly the lack of a consistent presence at quarterback.

But that position cannot assume all of the blame.

The wide receivers have been equally as inconsistent and frustrating for a fan base that was spoiled by the presence of one of the league’s all-time best in Jordan Matthews from 2010-13.

Trent Sherfield showed flashes of being a productive wideout during his sophomore season, which was highlighted by a record-setting 240-yard performance against Austin Peay.

But Sherfield also had a penchant for dropping catchable passes at inopportune times during the 2015 season, and that type of drive-ending mistake is just too much to handle for an offense working on such thin margins.

Caleb Scott and Latevius Rayford have experience, but each is short on notable big plays given the time they’ve spent on the field. If one of the two could step up to help take the pressure off Sherfield, the entire offense will be better because of it.

The return from injury may not happen during the spring for C.J. Duncan, but he also offers hope for a more productive unit this fall.

Converted QB Ronald Monroe has the size (6-3, 200 pounds) and athleticism to potentially be a factor, but caught just five passes during his redshirt freshman season in 2015. Perhaps his third year as a receiver will bear more fruit.