Most people would agree that the SEC East has been much stronger than the SEC West in recent years.

Sure, that’s largely due to Alabama’s dominance. But LSU and Auburn have been at the top in recent history and Ole Miss, Texas A&M and even Arkansas remain relevant.

The SEC East is a different story. It’s last SEC Championship was in 2008 when Florida topped the Crimson Tide.

Next year will be a little unpredictable in the East. Most people think that Tennessee is in solid positioning and that’s hard to dispute. Florida has obvious needs on offense while Georgia remains a mystery under Kirby Smart.

And then there’s Vanderbilt.

Behind the three schools just mentioned, the Commodores finished fourth in the East with a 4-8 record. Sure, that isn’t very good.

Vanderbilt struggled to score points. Its offense put up less than 20 points in eight of its 12 games.

But Derek Mason is entering his third year as head coach and consistency goes a long way. Vanderbilt’s defense is solid. It finished ranked 30th in the country.

If Mason can find a few offensive weapons, the Commodores could easily compete in the East in 2016. Ralph Webb is a running back on the rise. He finished 2015 with 1,152 yards and five touchdowns with little help around him.

Right now, the Commodores are dead last in the SEC in recruiting. Their two top prospects (Joejuan Williams and Zaire Jones) are both defensive backs which will only add to an already stout defense.

But their third highest prospect is pro style QB Deuce Wallace. Vanderbilt desperately needs to find a consistent answer at QB and Wallace could be it.

Vanderbilt isn’t a flashy destination so Mason has his work cut out for him. But it appears that his program is headed in the right direction and could compete in the SEC East next season.