Vanderbilt commitment Gavin Schoenwald of Brentwood Academy is No. 10 on 2017 Dandy Dozen

Brentwood Academy senior Gavin Schoenwald is perhaps best known for serving as quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall’s backup for the past two seasons.

It’s not like he’s been carrying around a clipboard for the two-time defending Division II-AA champion Eagles, though.

Instead, Schoenwald, a three-star prospect and the nation’s 37th-ranked athlete according to 247Sports, spent the bulk of his sophomore season at safety. Last season, he tried his hand at tight end, reeling in 34 receptions for 329 yards and four touchdowns.

This fall, however, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Vanderbilt commitment will finally be under center full time.

“I’ve obviously played behind a pretty phenomenal guy in (Oatsvall),” said Schoenwald, who comes in at No. 10 on this year’s Dandy Dozen, a collection of the top 12 college football prospects who are seniors from the Nashville area as named by the Tennessean. "But yeah, obviously I’ve waited my time and I’m excited for the quarterback position this year.”

► More: See who else made the 2017 Dandy Dozen

Brentwood Academy welcomes back a trio of prolific pass catchers in seniors Camron Johnson, Michael Archie and Daniel Taylor, who hauled in a combined 95 receptions for 1,577 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago.

The Eagles have also tweaked their offense to better suit the strong-armed Schoenwald.

“We’ve got better receivers than anyone I think, so we’re definitely going to sling it around,” said Schoenwald. “I think we’re going to expand the playbook and throw it a little more than we usually do so it should be an exciting year.”

 “I think it’s going to be a lot more actual route-running instead of J.O. running around and us getting open,” added Johnson, a fellow Vanderbilt commitment and the team’s top receiver in each of the last three seasons. “I think it’ll be a little bit different. It’ll be good for us, though.”

His time away from the position not only made him a more attractive prospect — Schoenwald chose Vanderbilt over offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee, among others — he believes it has also made him a better quarterback.

“I think that my football IQ and knowledge of the game have really expanded with all the positions I’ve played,” said Schoenwald, who also plays forward on Brentwood Academy’s three-time defending state champion basketball squad. 

It’s still to be determined exactly how he will be utilized for the Commodores. Whether he’s throwing passes or hauling them in, Schoenwald is certain of one thing:

“When you complete a pass there are obviously two sides — the quarterback and the receiver — and I’ve shown that I can do both at a pretty high level,” he said.

Reach Michael Murphy at mfmurphy@tennessean.com, 615-259-8026 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

MORE DANDY DOZEN

• No. 11:  Ensworth's Tanner Antonutti
• No. 12: Brentwood's Cole Mabry
• Best Dandy Dozen selections over the years

Gavin Schoenwald

Brentwood Academy, Athlete

Height: 6-5 Weight: 225
247Sports composite: 3 stars
College: Committed to Vanderbilt (7/16/2017)
Key stat: Schoenwald played tight end last season, finishing second on the team in catches (34), fourth in receiving yards (329) and third in touchdown receptions (4). He’s also completed 50 of 58 career passes for 723 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions.