The definition of an “X-factor,” says Merriam-Webster (you know, the dictionary people), is “a circumstance, quality or person that has a strong but unpredictable influence.” When it comes to football, then, think of an “X-factor” as a player who could make – or break – an offense or a defense.
Here are Vanderbilt’s X-factors this season.
Offense
TE Jared Pinkney: In what could end up being the deepest tight end unit in the SEC by season’s end – and, yes, we’re serious – Pinkney could stand out in coordinator Andy Ludwig’s pro-style scheme. Pinkney (6 feet 4, 250 pounds), a redshirt freshman who was a wide receiver in high school in the Atlanta area, has the ability to get open down the seam.