Vanderbilt Makes Top 12 of Three-Star Nashville Cornerback Prospect
Recruiting has been put on the back burner by Clark Lea and his staff, but that doesn't mean he won't be looking to add the right high school players to this Vanderbilt program.
Since they are at a disadvantage when it comes to convincing the top prep athletes to become Commodores, it's been hard for them to compete on the field against other SEC teams who are landing the premiere players around the country.
Because of that, Lea has shifted his attention to the transfer portal the past two years, taking advantage of the current landscape that has allowed him to reshape his roster and improve the overall depth of the team.
But, recruiting and development are still the backbone of college football programs, and for Lea to truly build something sustainable in Nashville, they have to land their top high school targets.
Someone on their radar is three-star cornerback Justin Hopkins.
The Nashville native who attends Ensworth is being heavily recruited by some of the top teams around the country, but on Dec. 25, he trimmed his list down and announced his top 12.
#AGTG‼️RECRUITMENT STILL 100% open. Blessed🙏🏾@EnsworthFB @BuckFitz @BallHawkU @Coach_Peavey @CoachDSanders pic.twitter.com/WQIZdwFjiP
— Justin “J-Hop” Hopkins (@JustinHopkins26) December 25, 2024
As can be deciphered from the graphic above, Vanderbilt made his list.
That is a great sign going forward since he has visited campus five times, the most out of any others who are going after him.
Listed as the 24th-best player at his position and No. 354 overall in the 2026 class by On3's Industry Ranking, he would be a great get for the Commodores who only have one player committed to them in that cycle as of now.
Hopkins shared what he's looking for with Chad Simmons of On3.
"I want to get on the field and play as quickly and early as possible. That's something that's important to me. Relationships with the players, coaches and staff that are already on the team are important too. I want to be able to trust that they will still be there when it's my opportunity to get up on campus. These things really played a role when I was selecting these schools," he said.
That could be a factor that plays into the favor of Vanderbilt.
Hopkins said he's still open to other schools right now, but these 12 have stood out to him the most so far during his process.
He'll aim to trim his list down to six in early-April so he can focus on official visits the following two months, and make a decision sometime in August before his senior season begins.
