Four-star talents don’t come a dime a dozen in Nashville, so when Derek Mason secures a strong verbal commitment from one of the state’s best, the Commodores celebrate.

Donovan Sheffield, the nation’s 25th best cornerback and ninth most impressive player in the state of Tennessee overall according to 247Sports, will make an instant impact at Vanderbilt next season on a defense in dire need of athleticism in the secondary.

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Head coach Derek Mason has fired several assistants since the season ended, including defensive coordinator David Kotulski, but Sheffield’s remained strong with his decision. He committed to the Commodores and defensive backs coach Brett Maxie in March out of nearby Ensworth High and enjoyed the thought of playing early.

Sheffield may not start in 2015 as a true freshman, but he’ll see snaps in a back end that suffered from a lack of production. Vanderbilt picked off just six passes as a team this season, fourth-fewest in the country and second-worst in the SEC behind Texas A&M (5).

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Sheffield’s a multi-position threat who has made plays with the ball in his hands during an illustrious prep career on offense as well. Projected as a defender at the next-level, that could change when he arrives on campus and Mason sees what he can do up close.