Vanderbilt 2027 Class Breakdown: Commodores expanding recruiting footprint

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Vanderbilt made big waves on the recruiting trail last cycle, flipping Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Jared Curtis from Georgia. The local passer headlined a class that finished at No. 32 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

It’s unlikely that the Commodores will pull off another stunner like that regarding its 2027 cycle efforts, but head coach Clark Lea and his staff have assembled another class that could be among the program’s best in recent memory.

As of Sept. 8, Vandy has the No. 34 class in the nation. The haul includes 17 total commits, four of whom are blue-chippers. The headliner is another elite local recruit who’s been committed for almost an entire year.

Nashville FRA four-star linebacker Omarii Sanders made an early commitment last November. Other SEC programs began to poke around this spring, but the 6-foot-3.5, 210-pounder has since shut his recruitment down and looks locked in. He’s the nation’s No. 4 LB.

“I’m still committed to Vandy and love the staff,” Sanders told Rivals’ Greg Biggins earlier this year. “Coach Lea is phenomenal coach and I love the scheme fit for me. I play the star position, which is king of a hybrid between safety and linebacker  and I’m excited to go through the process.”

Louisville Trinity four-star cornerback Allen Evans is the other top-100 prospect in the class. The No. 2 prospect in Kentucky flipped to the Commodores from Louisville at the end of official visit season on June 26.

Vanderbilt isn’t just honing in on local targets in and around Tennessee, though. Ten states are represented in the class, including Texas, Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Florida and Alabama.

Richardson (Texas) four-star offensive tackle Jasper Ngokwere also committed in June and he ranks as the No. 36 senior in the Lone Star State. Chesapeake (Va.) Maury three-star CB Matt Williams is the No. 8 player in Virginia, while Newark (N.J.) Malcom X Shabazz three-star EDGE Adekunbi Adetayo is the No. 9 player in New Jersey.

The class sits at 14th in the SEC team rankings, ahead of Arkansas and Mississippi State. This is still a notable haul for Vandy, however. Below is a look at the full class, broken down by commitments at each position:

Vanderbilt Commitments by Position

Quarterback
Three-star Matthew Smith, No. 1,318 NATL. (No. 71 QB)

Running Back
Three-star MJ Gideon, No. 1,102 NATL. (No. 85 RB)

Wide Receiver
Three-star Davion Crumitie, No. 611 NATL. (No. 82 WR)
Three-star Jeremiah Douglas, No. 662 NATL. (No. 89 WR)

Tight End
Four-star Grant Haviland, No. 317 NATL. (No. 16 TE)

Offensive Tackle
Four-star Jasper Ngokwere, No. 265 NATL. (No. 22 OT)
Three-star Corey Laga, No. 521 NATL. (No. 41 OT)
Three-star Luke Burger, No. 1,196 NATL. (No. 87 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Three-star Hunter Eligon, No. 1,458 NATL. (No. 150 DL)

EDGE
Three-star Adekunbi Adetayo, No. 489 NATL. (No. 45 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Omarii Sanders, No. 60 NATL. (No. 4 LB)
Three-star Ethan Hauser, No. 652 NATL. (No. 53 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Allen Evans, No. 88 NATL. (No. 11 CB)
Three-star Matt Williams, No. 408 NATL. (No. 44 CB)

Safety
Three-star Dillon Davis, No. 601 NATL. (No. 59 S)
Three-star Levi McKenzie, No. 914 NATL. (No. 102 S)

Specialty
K Ben Brewer

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