8 Best Vanderbilt Commodores Football Players

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program was established in 1890. They’ve only been to nine bowl games and have gone 4-4-1.  Since 2018, the Commodores have appeared in one bowl game. If you bet on their moneyline football odds for that game, you would’ve unfortunately lost as they fell to Baylor 45-38 in the 2018 Texas Bowl. 

Vanderbilt is in the SEC and you can bet on the team’s college football odds weekly at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

That said, check out my list of the top eight Commodores below. 

8 Best Vanderbilt Commodores Football Players

1. Jay Cutler

Cutler played at Vanderbilt from 2001 to 2005. Over that time, he threw for 8,697 yards (second), 59 passing touchdowns (second), had 17 rushing touchdowns (tied-10th), 9,953 total yards (first), and 76 total touchdowns (first).

His best season came in 2005 when he completed 59.1% of his passes for 3,073 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions and ran 106 times. 

He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-SEC in 2005. 

Throwing it back to Jay Cutler's game-winning touchdown pass to Earl Bennett to seal our 2005 win over Tennessee. #RTI | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/DpwOUaAw8G

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) August 14, 2020

Culter was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

2. Bill Wade

Wade finished his career at Vanderbilt with 31 passing touchdowns (seventh) and is tied for the single-game record with five. This came in an era (1949-51) when passing wasn’t as prominent. For context, Loyola quarterback Don Klosterman led the country in passing in 1951 with 1,843 yards on 315 attempts and completing 50.5% of his throws.

Wade was the SEC Player of the Year, a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC in 1951. He was named second-team All-SEC in 1950. 

3. Jordan Matthews

Matthews is easily the best receiver in Vanderbilt history. He played there from 2010 to 2013, and over that time, he had 262 receptions (first), 3,759 receiving yards (first), and 24 receiving touchdowns (first). 

He also holds the single-season record in receptions, with 112 in 2013, and the top two single-season records in receiving yards, with 1,477 in 2013 and 1,323 in 2012. 

He was a first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC selection.

Matthews was taken in the second round (No. 42 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.

4. Zach Cunningham

Cunningham was a unanimous All-American in 2016 and was first-team All-SEC in 2015 and 2016. 

He played three seasons at Vanderbilt from 2014 to 2016, finishing with 295 total tackles, 41 tackles for a loss, six sacks, seven forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries.

Cunningham was a second-round pick (No. 57 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft.

5. Casey Hayward

Hayward is tied for the all-time lead in interceptions with 15, including seven in 2011 and six in 2010. He played at Vanderbilt from 2008 to 2011. Hayward was a second-team All-American and two-time second-team All-SEC selection. 

He also had 198 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles. 

6. Jamie Duncan

Duncan played at Vanderbilt from 1994 to 1997 and was a first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC honoree. 

He recorded more than 300 tackles as a Commodore.

He was the No. 84 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and had a seven-year professional career. 

7. Carl Hinkle

Hinkle played center for Vanderbilt from 1935 to 1937. During that time, he was a first-team All-American, the SEC Player of the Year (1937), and a first-team All-SEC honoree.

Hinkle is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

8. Earl Bennett

As a wide receiver, Bennett played three seasons at Vanderbilt from 2005 to 2007. While there, he corralled 236 receptions (second) for 2,852 receiving yards (fourth) and 20 receiving touchdowns (tied for fifth). 

He was a first-team All-SEC selection each season and averaged 12.1 yards per catch. 

Bennett became the No. 70 overall pick in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.