Vanderbilt Commodores Football Team Has Work To Do on Recruiting Trail
The 2024 college football season was a massive success for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who were finally able to take some positive steps forward under head coach Clark Lea.
They went 7-6, finishing above the .500 mark for the first time since the 2013 campaign when they were 9-4 under James Franklin before he took the head coaching job with the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Where Vanderbilt showed the most improvement was in-conference, where they went 3-5; that is as many victories as they had in the SEC over the last five years combined.
One of those three wins was a massive victory over the then-No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. It was the first time in 40 years they defeated Alabama on the gridiron.
To finish above .500, the team had to defeat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Birmingham Bowl, giving them their first postseason win since 2013.
2024 marked the first time since that last year with Franklin at the helm that the Commodores were ranked at any point inside the top 25 as well.
With things beginning to turn around on the field, it is only a matter of time until Lea starts finding more success away from it when it comes to recruiting.
Vanderbilt is going to struggle to compete with the powerhouse programs in the SEC when it comes to wooing top-flight prospects, but they have done a solid job this offseason all things considered.
Over at ESPN, Craig Haubert has ranked their 2025 recruiting class at No. 72, moving them up one spot from the previous rankings. An area that they have focused on upgrading is their secondary, where they landed two prospects that could be immediate contributors.
“A strong prep in-state pick-up was safety Carson Lawrence, who has good range and the physicality to make tackles in space. Another quality addition to their secondary is CB Vanzale Hinton, who has good quickness and ball skills with good height and length.”
The transfer portal and graduations decimated the Commodores' secondary, so it is good to see them replenish the depth with two solid recruits.
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Diego Pavia will be back for one more year, and could have a new No. 1 target in the passing game in wide receiver Cameran Dickson. Once he fills out his frame, he is going to be a weekly contributor with his excellent skill set.
A long-term answer under center was also found as the team secured a commitment from Jack Elliott, a product out of Illinois.
