Vanderbilt Commodores Key Recruit Carson Lawrence Could Make Immediate Impact
The 2024 season was a major step in the right direction for the Vanderbilt Commodores football program.
Head coach Clark Lea deserves a lot of credit for turning things around after a tumultuous start to his tenure.
Over his first four years, the team went a combined 9-27 overall and 2-22 during SEC play. The season before he took over, the Commodores also went winless in conference play, making it three out of the last four campaigns that happened.
Finishing the 2023 campaign on a 10-game losing streak, he knew something had to be done before they got ready for this year.
So, he overhauled the roster and the impact was immediate.
The Commodores started 2-0 before losing to the Georgia State Panthers and Missouri Tigers. Three wins were rattled off after that, including their first victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in 40 years.
While the end of the season didn’t go as well as they had hoped, the team is bowl eligible for the first time since the 2018 campaign. They have a chance to record their first winning season since 2013.
It is that turnaround that has helped Lea and his staff start making moves when it comes to the transfer portal and high school recruiting.
One of the key recruits that they were able to secure in the 2025 class was safety Carson Lawrence. Standing 6-foot-2, he has excellent size for the position and could turn into a real player for this defense.
“An in-state signee from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lawrence has standout length and displayed good awareness and tackling ability, totaling 64 tackles and five interceptions over his final two high school seasons. Lawrence has speed to cover ground in the secondary and should only get better as he puts more size on his frame starting this spring as a midyear enrollee with the Commodores,” wrote Eli Lederman of ESPN.
A three-star player, he is the No. 47 ranked safety in the nation.
Vanderbilt faced some stiff competition, as the Florida Gators, Ole Miss Rebels, West Virginia Mountaineers and Virginia Tech Hokies all attempted to flip him ahead of signing day.
But, Lawrence remained committed to Lea and the Commodores, as he is their top-rated player in the class.
He is a huge signing, as safety was a major position of need.
Starters De’Rickey Wright and CJ Taylor have no eligibility remaining and three other players from the position have already hit the transfer portal.
That is a lot of depth that needs to be replaced, and Lawrence has a chance to take over one of the top spots and contribute immediately.
