Who is Vanderbilt football backup QB now that Deuce Wallace is suspended for season?

Adam Sparks | The Tennessean

Vanderbilt backup quarterback Deuce Wallace will be suspended this season, dealing a blow to the position for the present and possibly the future.

Coach Derek Mason opened his press conference Thursday by announcing Wallace’s suspension for violation of university policy. He did not specify the nature of the violation, but Wallace was not included in the 2018 Vanderbilt football media guide, which was distributed before the press conference.

“Deuce Wallace will not be available for fall, the 2018 season,” Mason said. “Deuce is serving a suspension. He has been suspended for the fall … for violation of school policy. I look forward to getting Deuce back in January.”

Vanderbilt QB Deuce Wallace ready to play Deuce Wallace is Kyle Shurmur’s backup, but he’s also training to be the starter.

Vanderbilt will open preseason practice Friday with starter Kyle Shurmur and no other quarterbacks with Division I game experience.

Who is new backup for Kyle Shurmur?

Sophomore Mo Hasan did not play in one season at Syracuse and played at Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College last season, passing for 996 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman Allan Walters, a three-star signee, also joined the Commodores this summer.

“The main guy is Kyle Shurmur. That’s who I am worried about,” Mason said. “I am just worried about the backup knowing what to do and how to do it. But we count on Kyle Shurmur being under center all season.”

Wallace, a sophomore and former Sevier County standout, was looking at a possible role this season as a running option to complement Shurmur, one of the SEC’s top returning passers. But that small section of the playbook will have to be placed to the side for the 2018 season.

Last season, Wallace was 11-of-22 passing for 94 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He was one of Vanderbilt’s top signees in 2016 after leading Sevier County to a Class 5A state title.

Neither Hasan nor Walters are running threats like Wallace, according to offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.

“I think they are going to be a little bit more athletic than Kyle, but I don’t see the scheme changing in terms of us going to the spread when one of those two young men goes in,” Ludwig said. “They are both very intelligent young men, so I think they will pick up the system well. But it’s not like where Kyle Shurmur is in year four in the offense, so there will be some adapting.”

Will Deuce Wallace still start in 2019?

Wallace had a strong performance in the spring, prompting Ludwig to say that he saw him as the likely starter in 2019 after Shurmur’s graduation. So will Wallace’s suspension affect his chances at being the starter next season?

“No, man,” Mason said. “When Deuce gets back here in January, we will get back to work. That’s exactly what we do. I look forward to his return and this team does, as well.”

When asked if Walters could play immediately rather than take a redshirt this season, Mason said Wallace’s suspension “has no effect on that.”

Instead, Mason emphasized Hasan as the likely backup. “He has played in (junior college games),” he said. “And he played in a conference that had high competition. I feel extremely confident in our backup.”

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

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Vanderbilt football things to know

Dore Jam: The free fan event will be Saturday (4-6 p.m.) at Vanderbilt’s indoor facility.

Single-game tickets: Tickets to the MTSU ($25 plus fees), Nevada ($25), South Carolina ($55) and TSU ($25) are on sale. Visit vucommodores.com or call 615-322-GOLD.

Taste of Tennessee tickets: Three-game mini plan is on sale for $120 plus fees. It includes tickets to MTSU, TSU and Tennessee games. The first 500 ticket-buyers also receive a $15 gift card to Puckett’s or any A. Marshall Hospitality location (Deacon’s New South, Puckett’s Boat House, Scout’s Pub, Homestead Manor).

Preseason practice: Begins Friday.