Class of 2026 Recruiting Tracker: Vanderbilt Commodores Football

Clark Lea took over as the head coach for Vanderbilt in 2021 after Derek Mason was let go following seven consecutive losing seasons. Since the Commodores' back-to-back nine win campaigns under now Penn State head coach James Franklin, the football program has struggled to return to where it once was, and has been void of identity for most of that time.

Now, as Lea prepares to enter year five, fresh off a 7-6 season that saw his team take down the likes of Alabama and Auburn, Vanderbilt looks to have possibly solidified that identity.

Under the leadership of the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator, the Commodores have emerged as an extremely tough team with the ability to take nearly anyone down to the wire, and now look to validate themselves as a serious player on the recruiting trail.

Vanderbilt has continued to struggle on the recruiting trail in recent years, unable to crack the top-25 rankings. Last year, the Commodores landed commitments from 13 players, one of which was a 4-Star prospect: safety Carson Lawrence from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As it stands now, Lea and his staff are off to a bit of a slow start for the class of 2026, but are expected to welcome a massive amount of campus visitors across the spring and upcoming summer, so that is likely to change.

Vanderbilt holds three commitments in next year's class and is ranked by 247Sports' composite ranking as the No. 50 class in the nation.

Class of 2026

Hard commits (3)

Team Rankings - Through Mar. 26, 2025

247Sports: No. 50
On3: No. 44
Rivals: No. 53

Commitments

1. ATH Daniel Vollmer, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 02/05/2025)
2. QB Michael Mitchell, Jr., 5-foot-11, 185 lbs. - San Francisco, California (Committed 09/21/2024)
3. EDGE Joey Quinn, 6-foot-5, 260 lbs. - Chicago, Illinois (Committed 03/26/2025)

1. Daniel Vollmer - Cincinnati Ohio

Position: Athlete
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 210 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 974 nationally, No. 64 position, No. 38 state
On3: No. 893 nationally, No. 60 position, No. 36 state
Rivals: not ranked

2. Michael Mitchell, Jr. - San Francisco, California

Position: Quarterback
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 600 nationally, No. 34 position, No. 58 state
On3: No. 527 nationally, No. 30 position, No. 53 state
Rivals: not ranked nationally, No. 32 position, No. 54 state

3. Joey Quinn - Chicago, Illinois

Position: Edge rusher
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 250 lbs.

Rankings

Consensus: 3-Star prospect
247Sports: No. 667 nationally, No. 61 position, No. 15 state
On3: No. 600 nationally, No. 57 position, No. 13 state
Rivals: not ranked nationally, No. 54 position, No. 12 state

Class of 2027

None (yet)

Class of 2025 Recap

Team Rankings

247Sports: No. 55
On3: No. 70
Rivals: No. 77

Commitments (13)

1. CB Vanzale Hinton, 6-foot, 185 lbs. - Paducah, Kentucky (Signed 12/04/2024)
2. CB Cayden Daniels, 5-foot-11, 170 lbs. - Cordele, Georgia (signed 12/04/2024)
3. EDGE George Okorie, 6-foot-1, 222 lbs. - Nigeria (Signed 12/04/2024)
4. EDGE Jake Stanish, 6-foot-4, 230 lbs. - Napierville, Illinois (12/04/2024)
5. LB Josiah Broxton, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. - Tallahassee, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
6. LB Austin Howard, 6-foot-1, 226 lbs. - Bartlett, Tennessee (Signed 12/04/2024)
7. QB Jack Elliott, 5-foot-11, 195 lbs. - Chicago, Illinois (Signed 12/04/2024)
8. RB Gabe Fields, 6-foot, 200 lbs. - Saint Joseph, Missouri (Signed 12/04/2024)
9. S Davin Chandler, 6-foot-2, 180 lbs. - Berlin, Maryland (Signed 12/04/2024)
10. S Carson Lawrence, 6-foot-2, 194 lbs. - Chattanooga, Tennessee (Signed 12/04/2024)
11. WR Cameran Dickson, 6-foot, 170 lbs. - Corpus Christi, Texas (Signed 12/04/2024)
12. WR Lebron Hill, 6-foot-4, 180 lbs. - Hammond, Indiana (Signed 12/04/2024)
13. WR Kayleb Barnett, 5-foot-8, 150 lbs. - Jenks, Oklahoma (Signed 12/04/2024)