Vanderbilt Football Recruiting OL Prospect Weston Franklin

Things may be quiet on the new news front around McGugin Center, but Vanderbilt coaches are working hard on the recruiting trail.

The Vanderbilt Commodores football team picked up two new commitments for the class of 2021 last week in the form of wide receiver Ezra McAllister and defensive back Alan (Taco) Wright, with several other recruits receiving offers. 

While head coach Derek Mason's name is most recognizable to the general public when looking at and talking to recruits and those who cover recruiting, the names of Vanderbilt assistant coaches are being heard more frequently. 

One of those names is that of offensive line coach Pete Rossomondo.

Rossomando spent the 2019 season as Rutgers' offensive line coach. Before that, he spent ten years as a head coach, collecting a 23-34 record at Central Connecticut State from 2014-18, including an FCS playoff appearance in 2017. Before that, he was the head coach at Division II New Haven from 2009-13, finishing his tenure there with a 42-13 record and back to back Northeast-10 Conference titles in 2011 and 2012. 

Being the offensive line coach, and the Commodores needing to add talent at that position might explain why Rossomondo's name is frequently mentioned as late as he goes about recruiting talent at that position. 

One such player Rossomondo is recruiting is four-star offensive guard Weston Franklin.

The 6'3" 310-pound Franklin, originally from Jesup, Georgia's Wayne County High School, has since transferred to prep powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his senior season and currently holds 16 scholarship offers from Power Five conference teams.    

Included among those offers are the Commodores and fellow SEC schools LSU, Kentucky, and  South Carolina, along with most of the ACC and Michigan of the Big 10. 

It is an impressive list of suitors for a remarkable talent. 

Franklin is a powerfully built, compact player with above-average athleticism and movement skills and reportedly posted an impressive 22.80 vertical jump in 2019. 

There is no doubt he has the skills necessary to play in the SEC or Power Five level, and he could be an immediate starter based on need, he appears to be a player who could benefit from a season in a significant college weight program to further build on the talents and base he has coming from high school.

Currently, Rivals has Franklin's top school of interest listed as Georgia Tech, which for a native of that state is not surprising. Though he does not currently have an offer from the Georgia Bulldogs, that could change with a strong senior season at IMG.

Rossomondo has his work cut out for him, but he is making his name known and going after top talent in his first season with Vanderbilt.      

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