With one game left to go in the month of September, the Auburn Tigers are sitting at 2-1 on the season, still seeking their first conference win of the year.
The Tigers welcome in the Vanderbilt Commodores for another year on Saturday, with Clark Lea’s squad looking to hand Auburn a loss for the third year in a row.
Vanderbilt recently escaped the North Carolina State Wolfpack last week to become 3-0 on the year, winning on a sealing fumble recovery in the end zone to take a 35-31 victory.
Similarly to Golesh, Commodores Head Coach Clark Lea has referred to his team’s performance in the first three weeks as “sloppy.” However, Lea believes this is a week that his players can bounce back as long as they play their brand of football in all three phases of the game.
The Tigers enter this weekend after suffering a 44-39 defeat at the hands of the Florida Gators, one that saw them give up 243 yards on the ground.
In a pivotal contest for both sides, here are some players to watch for both Auburn and Vanderbilt when they take the field to cap off the month of September.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Junior Sherrill (WR):
When you look at the state of college football in the present day, it is rare you find an athlete with at least decent caliber that stays at a program for the full extent of his college career. Junior Sherrill has. The senior is coming off of a six-reception, 108-yard performance with two touchdowns, and even caught four for 75 yards and one touchdown a year ago against the Tigers. His leadership and athleticism pits him to be a strong force on the offense for the entirety of this season, and Auburn cannot be burned by him if it wants to keep the Commodores offense from gaining momentum.
Sedrick Alexander (RB):
Sedrick Alexander has been yet another player who has stayed with Lea throughout his time in college, and it has certainly paid off. While not the most explosive running back in the SEC by any means, Alexander has a size similar to that of the Tigers’ Omar Mabson II that will make you pay if he keeps racking up the contact. With how Auburn’s run defense fared against Florida a week ago, look for Alexander to be utilized big time as Vanderbilt looks to exploit what was a recent weak spot for the Tigers.
CJ Heard (S):
It is not that often that one sees someone in the secondary leading a team in total tackles, but that is where safety CJ Heard is early on in the 2026 season. Since transferring to the Commodores from Florida Atlantic after the 2024 year, Heard has been on the ball whenever he can, having been the top tackler for Vanderbilt last year as well with 71. Through three games, Heard has 22, picking up eight against North Carolina State. He will certainly be a threat in the secondary alongside fellow safety Ricardo Jones.
Auburn Tigers
Chas Nimrod (WR):
Being the veteran that he is, Chas Nimrod has been one of the more reliable receivers in Alex Golesh’s rotation. With experience in the SEC, Nimrod has brought a reliable ability to catch the football and create space for himself. He currently sits with the second-most receiving yards on Auburn in 2026 and turned in six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in last week’s outing. Knowing the Commodores well, it is hard to imagine him not playing a big role in this meeting.
Wilson Zierer (OL):
With all of the inconsistencies on the offensive line for the Tigers, Wilson Zierer is slowly, but surely, becoming one of the more highly talked about guys up front. The freshman has appeared a bit throughout the early portion of the season and even earned the start at left guard for Auburn against Florida. He will once again be expected to get a good chunk of snaps against Vanderbilt, as Joel Gordon’s offense continues to seek out a more defined starting five to protect Byrum Brown.
Kaleb Harris (S):
Coming into the season, the secondary that the Tigers were fielding was talked about as potentially being one of the strongest areas that the team had overall, specifically in the safety spot. Kaleb Harris has made his presence known as a veteran, as the junior is currently third on the Auburn defense in total tackles. He fielded nine in the loss to the Gators, tied for the second-most on the night with Xavier Atkins. His agility allows him to cover the whole field, which will be a bright spot against a young quarterback in Jared Curtis.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
