Grading the SEC’s recruiting situations: Vanderbilt Commodores
In the coming weeks, SDS will grade each team’s current state of recruiting based upon the factors listed below. Today we continue the series with one the SEC’s only team with a first-year coach this season, the Vanderbilt Commodores.
VANDERBILT COMMODORES
HOME-STATE TALENT: C-
The state of Tennessee annually pumps out several high-profile four-star or better players, but the Commodores seem to always face a one-sided battle against the Vols for the top prospects. Derek Mason did a fantastic job this spring however, securing two four-star defenders ranked inside Tennessee’s Top 10 players overall — four-star linebacker Josh Smith and four-star defensive back Donovan Sheffield. In next year’s class, Vanderbilt has received a verbal commitment from three-star quarterback Deuce Wallace out of Sevierville, the only in-state commit thus far.
RECENT SUCCESS: C
For a baseball school like Vanderbilt, signing any football class ranked inside the Top 50’s a step in the right direction and the Commodores have managed to accomplish that four consecutive years, including a noteworthy 2015 haul featuring four-star pass Kyle Shurmur — the highest-rated quarterback the school’s ever signed. Just inside the Top 50 nationally means you’re at the bottom of the SEC, but Mason feels he’s putting the right pieces in place to be successful and perhaps get back to the level of on-field success established under James Franklin.
FAN SATISFACTION: D
It only took one season for Vanderbilt’s fanbase to question Franklin’s replacement, but can you blame them? The Commodores went after a proven defensive coordinator out west with no head coaching experience. On the surface, the seemed like a proper fit, but Mason appeared out of his league at times last fall, stumbling to a winless SEC record. What made matters worse was the team never found a quarterback after losing by 30 points at home to Temple in the season opener. Year 2 doesn’t need to be division title-worthy to recapture a fanbase. The Commodores just need to look respectable.
COACHING STABILITY: C-
Mason axed his offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell in favor of Andy Ludwig and reclaimed a personal title of defensive coordinator, his obvious strength, to try and create more pressure on that side of the football. Additional heads will roll this season if the Commodores don’t show improvement.
Editor’s note: Any reference to recruiting ratings in this series – team or individual – are to 247Sports’ industry composite ranking.
At the end of the series we will rank the SEC’s recruiting situations from 1-14 based on the grades we assign each program. Here are last year’s recruiting situation rankings:
