NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The college football season is just two full weeks in, and two Vanderbilt Commodores have already made their presence known.

Vanderbilt wide receiver Tre Richardson and running back Makhilyn Young have both come up big for the Commodores in their first two games with the team.

Richardson — who dominated at both the JUCO and Division II levels before joining Vanderbilt this past offseason — is leading the Commodores in receiving yards, albeit by a slim margin, and making game changing plays for the Vanderbilt offense.

On Saturday night in the second half, Richardson had two big-time catches as the third quarter was coming to a close to put the Commodores up two scores against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Lane Stadium. The touchdown pass he caught from Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia was a highlight reel, one-handed catch.

"He made a difference tonight, and he made a difference last week, too," Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said of Richardson. "We've seen it in practice, too. He's a weapon; he's fast. He has excellent ball skills. The contested catch for the touchdown was an awesome play. It was a great throw, also. Diego is confident in Tre and puts the ball on him. He's been a great addition to a room that I feel like is really strong."

The Commodores were looking for another big-time receiver to complement preseason All-American tight end Eli Stowers, and they've found one.

Young, on the other hand, transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State ahead of the 2024 season but had to sit out the entire 2024-2025 season.

Now, Young has been relied on as the Commodores' No. 2 option at running back behind Sedrick Alexander. Against Virginia Tech, he opened up the scoring for Vanderbilt's dominant 34-0 second half against the Hokies, to make it a one-score game and swing the momentum the Commodores' way.

One thing the Vanderbilt running back room was looking for this season was explosive plays. Young provided just that when he opened a fourth-quarter offensive possession with a 62-yard run to the Virginia Tech 10-yard line, setting the Commodores up for an easy touchdown to extend their lead to 17 points.

Look for Richardson and Young to have big impacts the rest of the way for Vanderbilt, especially as they head into Columbia, South Carolina, looking for an upset win against the No. 11 Gamecocks to open up SEC play.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/sports/2-commodores-make-big-impact-early-2025-campaign/