How Bryan Longwell plans to have bigger impact on Vanderbilt football in 2024

There was a moment last season when Bryan Longwell realized he wasn't ready for SEC play.

He was in his freshman season at Vanderbilt, a year when he played in all 12 games for the Commodores.

“Playing against Georgia made me realize that I couldn’t get away with some of the things that I used to," Longwell said. "I have to really know what I’m doing and have the right technique and mentality. (Playing Georgia) taught me that maybe I wasn’t ready for that moment.”

Longwell, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound linebacker, garnered 36 total tackles in 2023. That came after he was a standout linebacker in Nashville at Lipscomb Academy , where he played for current UAB coach Trent Dilfer. While Longwell's season may have been an adequate finish for most freshmen, Longwell is using the past to better himself and has even raised his goals in the process.

“I’ve got big goals. I want two interceptions, three (pass break ups) and like 15 (tackles for loss),” Longwell said. “I want to see people get scared whenever they see me coming.”

Longwell is expected to take on a bigger role for the Commodores this season, being a more vocal leader on defense. While early in Vanderbilt's preseason practice, Longwell has already taken a step up for the defense, something that he wants to carry over into the season.

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“I want to lead. I want to be an example and someone to look up to,” Longwell said. “I want to lead the charge. That’s just how I’ve been and I want to continue being the front runner.”

Longwell was a three-star recruit at Lipscomb Academy and a top-40 player in the state per 247Sports. But he thrived under Dilfer, garnering college coaches' attention. He was also recruited by Arizona State, Colorado and others. But playing at Vanderbilt gave him an opportunity to stay at home.

“(Playing for Vanderbilt) means the most to me. My brother wanted to come here; this was his dream school. I get to be next to my parents,” Longwell said. “It’s just such a family thing for me. It’s just bigger than football.”

Lawrence Goss is The Tennessean's sports intern with the Sports Journalism Institute. Contact Lawrence at lgoss@gannett.com. Follow Lawrence on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @iamlgoss

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Bryan Longwell plans to have bigger impact on Vanderbilt football in 2024