Latest news with #ClarkLea
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Vanderbilt Ready to Keep Investing in Football After Historic Season and House Settlement
Vanderbilt has numerous options for distributing revenue sharing with a two-time national baseball champion and both men's and women's basketball coming off NCAA Tournament berths. Combined with a history of more losing seasons than bowl berths, it seemingly would be an easy decision to invest anywhere but football. Not for the Commodores. 'This is the SEC,' Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee said Tuesday. 'You have to invest and invest at a high level.' The decision is more complex with the SEC's lone private university coming off one of its best all-around athletic seasons in years. Lee wouldn't specify if Vanderbilt will follow the 75–15–5–5 formula that has become a popular revenue-sharing plan with the House settlement that would send 75 percent of revenue-share money to football, followed by men's basketball, then women's basketball. Investing more in football isn't just the cost of doing business in the Southeastern Conference. Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier lured Clark Lea away from Notre Dame because they wanted to turn Vanderbilt into a consistent winner, which the Commodores haven't been in decades. In 2021, Vanderbilt announced its biggest football stadium renovation in 40 years with a complete redesign and rebuild of each end zone. The south end zone will be ready for the season opener Aug. 30. All the spending is easier to justify after 2024. With quarterback Diego Pavia, the Commodores went 7–6 and won their first bowl since 2013. The season's highlight was the program's first win over an AP No. 1–ranked team, with the Commodores never trailing against Alabama last October. Lea said last season's success is starting to break through the cynicism around Vanderbilt football. 'We all see the opportunity that we have right now,' Lea said. 'And I think for those of us that have been in this really…certainly for me, this being year five, I'm so excited to feel like I have something at stake, to feel like chips are on the table.' Football wasn't the only beneficiary of that initial $300 million investment. The north end zone now features the Huber Center, which opened last fall, giving men's basketball and women's basketball each a floor complete with separate practice courts, locker rooms, film rooms, and hangout areas for players. The timing was perfect on a campus where women's soccer reached its first Sweet 16 and women's tennis hosted an NCAA regional: – Vanderbilt men's basketball went 20–13 in coach Mark Byington's debut season, earning the Commodores' first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. – The women beat in-state rival Tennessee twice in a season for the first time, went 22–11, and earned a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. With Mikayla Blakes setting records as a freshman and Khamil Pierre back, coach Shea Ralph is targeting titles and the program's first Final Four since 1993. Ralph said she's glad to be working at Vanderbilt for an athletic director who played women's basketball at the school. Lee graduated in 2000 after four seasons playing for coach Jim Foster. Ralph's concern now is how female athletes' fair-market value is assessed. 'Are we being compared to other women? Which is going to set us back,' Ralph said. The practice court, once shared, now will be used by volleyball, Vanderbilt's 17th sport, debuting this fall. The south end zone will have a space that can be used by coach Tim Corbin and his baseball program, which just earned the No. 1 national seed for the NCAA Tournament after winning the SEC Tournament. A training table in that end zone also will be open to all athletes. 'It's clear that we're trying to, yes, invest where you get the largest return on investment, but also invest where all of our student athletes can be positively impacted,' Lee said.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Vanderbilt ready to keep investing in football after historic season and House settlement
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt has plenty of options for divvying up revenue sharing under the House settlement with a two-time national baseball champ and both men's and women's basketball coming off NCAA Tournament berths. Combined with a record of more losing seasons than bowl berths seemingly would make for an easy decision to invest anywhere but football. Not the Commodores. 'This is the SEC,' Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee said Tuesday. 'You have to invest and invest at a high level.' The decision is tougher with the SEC's lone private university coming off one of its best all-around athletic seasons in years. Lee wouldn't specify if Vanderbilt will follow the 75-15-5-5 formula that has emerged as a popular revenue-sharing plan with the House settlement that would send 75% of revenue-share money to football, followed by men's basketball, then women's basketball. Investing more in football isn't just the cost of doing business in the Southeastern Conference. Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier lured Clark Lea away from Notre Dame because they wanted to turn Vanderbilt into a consistent winner, which the Commodores haven't been in decades. In 2021, Vanderbilt announced its biggest football stadium renovation in 40 years with a complete redesign and rebuild of each end zone. The south end zone will be ready for the season opener Aug. 30. All the spending is easier to justify after 2024. With quarterback Diego Pavia, the Commodores went 7-5 and won their first bowl since 2013. The season's highlight was the program's first win over an AP No. 1-ranked team with the Commodores never trailing against Alabama last October. Lea said last season's success is starting to break through the 'cynicism' around Vanderbilt football. 'We all see the opportunity that we have right now,' Lea said. 'And I think for those of us that have been in this really ... certainly for me this being year five, I'm so excited to feel like I have something at stake, to feel like chips are on the table.' Football wasn't the only beneficiary of that initial $300 million investment. The north end zone now features the Huber Center, which opened last fall giving men's basketball and women's basketball each a floor complete with separate practice courts, locker rooms, film rooms and hangout areas for players. The timing was perfect on a campus where women's soccer reached its first Sweet 16 and women's tennis hosted an NCAA regional: — Vanderbilt men's basketball went 20-13 in coach Mark Byington's debut season earning the Commodores' first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. — The women beat in-state rival Tennessee twice in a season for the first time, went 22-11 and earned a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. With Mikayla Blakes setting records as a freshman and Khamil Pierre back, coach Shea Ralph is targeting titles and the program's first Final Four since 1993. Ralph said she's glad to be working at Vanderbilt for an athletic director who played women's basketball at the school. Lee graduated in 2000 after four seasons playing for coach Jim Foster. Ralph's concern now is how female athletes' fair-market value is assessed. 'Are we being compared to other women? Which is going to set us back,' Ralph said. The practice court once shared now will be used by volleyball, Vanderbilt's 17th sport debuting this fall. The south end zone will have a space that can be used by coach Tim Corbin and his baseball program, which just earned the No. 1 national seed for the NCAA Tournament after winning the SEC Tournament. A training table in that end zone also will be open to all athletes. 'It's clear that we're trying to, yes, invest where you get the largest return on investment, but also invest where all of our student athletes can be positively impacted,' Lee said. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking every offensive line in the SEC for the 2025 season: Where does LSU land?
Ranking every offensive line in the SEC for the 2025 season: Where does LSU land? The SEC rose to prominence in the 2000s with dominant play in the trenches. Nick Saban's recipe at Alabama involved overwhelming opponents on the offensive and defensive lines. Even as we've moved into the spread era, a strong offensive line remains critical to be successful at the highest level of the sport. You can win with a game manager at quarterback, you can make up for not having the horses at wide receiver, but a bad offensive line, there's no hiding that. The transfer portal makes it hard to build and maintain depth up front. An offense is sure to need more than five offensive linemen in a season, but it's hard to keep five SEC-level blockers on the roster. Today, we'll rank every offensive line in the SEC. I've considered returning production, talent level, and coaching to try and assess which units are in the best position entering 2025. Let's jump right in. 16. Vanderbilt Commodores Putting Vanderbilt at No. 16 was a tough call. The Commodores punched above their weight in 2024 and did a decent job in the transfer portal. Clark Lea signed several experienced linemen, including former Liberty guard Jordan White. White has played 2,054 snaps in five years of college football. He's familiar with the Power Four after spending his first three seasons at West Virginia. The scheme he played in at Liberty isn't all that different from what he'll see at Vandy. Vanderbilt also added Bryce Henderson, a standout FCS offensive lineman. Henderson's resume is strong, but there's always a question when a player jumps from the FCS to the SEC, especially on the offensive line. Isaia Glass and Sterling Porcher bring Power Four experience from the Big 12, but both struggled at their previous stops in 2024. The Vandy offense will make the most of the talent it has and the scheme will limit exposure for this group, but there's too many variables to have confidence in Vanderbilt up front right now. 15. Kentucky Wildcats Few programs have been hit as hard as Kentucky in the portal era. Every year, the Wildcats lose a handful of quality players. That makes it tough to keep up in the SEC. But the transfer portal just doesn't take, it gives. Kentucky got a gift with the arrival of former Arkansas guard Josh Braun. Standing at 6-foot-6, Braun has 2,435 snaps of SEC experience between his time at Florida and Arkansas. He's a quality player who raises the floor of the unit. At tackle, Kentucky added two transfers from the G5 ranks. Both were productive, but it's hard to assess how G5 players will perform in the SEC. Dealing with MAC pass rushers is a lot different than dealing with a five-star defensive end. Kentucky's pass blocking efficiency ranked in the 9th percentile last year and tackles for loss were an issue, too. If Kentucky has any hope of getting bowl-eligible, it starts with this group taking a massive leap. 14. Mississippi State Bulldogs Head coach Jeff Lebby took over Mississippi State in 2024 looking at a complete rebuild. A year later, the Bulldogs are still in that process. The offensive line is no exception. It wasn't all bleak, though. Mississippi State was in the 66th percentile at creating yards before contact. MSU spread defenses out, allowing the offensive line to work with a light box. Young guns got valuable experience with Luke Work being one of just two SEC tackles to see significant time as a true freshman. Lebby hit the transfer portal hard, hoping to up the Bulldogs' talent level. State signed former Virginia tackle Blake Steen, who is expected to take over MSU's LT role. Steen brings 1,202 snaps from UVA, but struggled when the Cavaliers faced top defenses in 2024. In the SEC, Steen will see that level of competition every week. Koby Keenum is expected to start at center. He barely saw the field at UK, but MSU was pleased with Keenum's spring. Elsewhere on the interior, returning players Albert Reese and Carson Boone battle for starting spots at guard. There's some upside in this room, and the depth is better than expected, but the Bulldogs have to show it first. 13. Arkansas Razorbacks Sam Pittman and crew usually have this group playing above its talent level, and they have done more with less before, which is reason for optimism. Fernando Carmona returns after transferring up from the G5 last year. He had a productive 2024, but could slide to the interior with the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Corey Robinson, a long and athletic tackle who was one of the top offensive linemen on the transfer market. E'Marion Harris and Keyshawn Blackstock return after playing a lot of football last year, but both need to take a step. The pair combined to allow 12 sacks in 2024, ranking near the bottom of the SEC. Both are talented, though. Blackstock was the No. 1-ranked interior offensive lineman coming out of high school, and Harris was also a four-star. The Razorbacks were above average in PFF run blocking grade and have a mobile QB who can make the offensive line look better. I think this can be a solid unit, but the talent isn't good enough to warrant a higher ranking. 12. Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma entered the SEC with its offensive line in a rough state. The Sooners lacked returning experience and were forced to hit the transfer portal. It went how you'd expect. Oklahoma ranked 107th in tackle for loss rate, 81st in yards created before contact, and 119th in pass blocking efficiency. The Sooners had issues at QB, but the offensive line problems made it worse. The Sooners should improve in 2025. Oklahoma returns a significant amount of production, and the group is well-coached. Troy Everett missed the first five games with an injury in 2024, but was a productive center upon his return. At left tackle, Logan Howland is the projected starter but missed spring with an injury. Jacob Sexton, who made four starts at left tackle last year, took reps in Howland's place. At right tackle, Oklahoma added FCS transfer Derek Simmons and five-star freshman Michael Fasusi. There's a chance Simmons or Fasusi ends up being what the Sooners have been missing, but there's always some questions with FCS transfers and true freshman. Oklahoma used to be one of the best offensive lines in the FBS year in and year out, but that hasn't been the case recently. The talent level is still a step or two away from getting back to that point. Expect improvement, but I don't know how much. 11. South Carolina Gamecocks After a rough 2023, South Carolina ranked No. 15 on this list last year, but Beamer and staff have been relentless in adding talent to the room. In the last three recruiting classes, only four SEC programs have recruited offensive line at a higher level than the Gamecocks. Left tackle Josiah Thompson returns after starting as a true freshman in 2024. There were growing pains, but Thompson had his moments. His ceiling his high. On the other side, right tackle Cason Henry is back. Henry allowed six sacks in 2024, and the Gamecocks will need to see improvement there. Tree Babalade could bump inside to guard, providing a solid veteran option on the interior. There was definite progress in 2024, but South Carolina still ranked outside the top 12 in the SEC in PFF's run blocking and pass blocking grades. But the talent is here and that's more than a lot of teams on this list can say. There's a ton of room for growth in 2025 and South Carolina has the ceiling of a top six or seven SEC offensive line. 10. Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee made the playoffs in 2024 with an offensive line that was one of the best run-blocking units in the country. The Vols ranked second in the SEC when it came to preventing negative runs and creating yards before contact. They were good in short yardage and running back Dylan Sampson was one of CFB's top touchdown scorers. But the only returning starter is left tackle Lance Heard, and the projected starting five doesn't have a single senior. At a position where experience matters, that's a red flag. The Vols have talent, but they've ranked in the middle of the pack when it comes to SEC offensive line recruiting. Whether they have the immediate answers to fill the holes is unclear. Heard was a five-star who signed with LSU in 2023. He flashed his potential in limited action as a true freshman, but transferred to Tennessee in search of a starting role. Year one in Knoxville was a mixed bag for Heard, and the Vols will need consistency from the redshirt sophomore in 2025. Guard Wendell Moe should prove to be a valuable addition. He brings 1,775 offensive snaps from Arizona. At 6-foot-2, he doesn't jump off the screen, but he's fundamentally sound and has the strength to move defenders. Elsewhere on the unit, the Vols have position battles going. It's hard to say what this unit will be right now. The young talent could prove to be ready, or Tennessee will experience growing pains up front. 9. Missouri Tigers Few offensive lines have been as consistent as Missouri in 2023 and 2024, especially when it came to creating rushing lanes. Missouri ranked top 30 nationally in creating yards before contact and tackles for loss. But now Missouri is losing some key pieces from that unit. Missouri lost both tackles, including first-round pick Armand Membou. Eli Drinkwitz and staff hit the transfer portal, but the Tigers will take a step back from a talent standpoint at tackle. The interior should be strong with center Connor Tollison and guard Cayden Green back. There was some talk about moving Green to tackle, but he's sticking at guard, where he has a chance to be an All-SEC player. The same could be said for Tollison, who entered last year with high hopes but missed some time with an injury. A healthy Tollison is good news for Missouri in 2025. This room has proven to be well-coached, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Missouri punch above its weight, but its fair to ask questions about the talent level. 8. Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss improved up front after an up-and-down year in 2023. The Rebels lost running back Quinshon Judkins, but maintained a dynamic rushing attack with an offensive line that was one of the best at creating yards before contact. Diego Pounds returns at left tackle. 2024 was an adjustment to the SEC for the North Carolina transfer, but he was an upgrade and still has another step to take. At left guard, Ole Miss signed Arkansas transfer Patrick Kutas. With Kutas, the Rebels are getting a proven SEC blocker. At center, Brycen Sanders is projected to win the starting role. Sanders was a four-star prospect and the type of talent Ole Miss isn't used to having on the line. Lane Kiffin's offense should get a boost from right tackle Jayden Williams being healthy all year, and the room has depth with additions like transfer Percy Lewis and blue-chip freshman Devin Harper. 7. Auburn Tigers Auburn's offensive line was in a rough spot when Hugh Freeze took over the program. Auburn has been stuck using the transfer portal to retool the unit, with some hits and some misses. There was progress in 2024, though. The Tigers ranked No. 14 nationally in creating yards before contact. That's promising, but Auburn was still below average when it came to protecting the passer and preventing tackles for loss. Freeze turned to the transfer portal again, landing Virginia Tech's Xavier Chaplin. With Chaplin, Auburn is getting a veteran tackle with Power Four experience. Auburn's left tackle position has been inconsistent, which makes Chaplin one of the most important transfers in the SEC. Chaplin is a leverage point for this offense. Chaplin taking over left tackle allows Auburn to slide veteran Dillon Wade back to guard. Wade has taken on a few different roles since arriving at Auburn, but guard is Wade's best fit. At the other tackle spot, former USC Trojan Mason Murphy is projected to start. Murphy had some struggles in 2024, but he has power conference experience. Connor Lew returns at center, giving Auburn a high floor on the interior. LSU was one of the tougher teams to rank on this list. The Tigers lost four NFL draft picks, including No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell. The Tigers are tasked with replacing Campbell and Emery Jones at tackle after the pair held those spots for three seasons. There are concerns, but spring practice had some positive developments. LSU coaches were pleased with the progress Tyree Adams made at left tackle. Adams earned the start at left tackle in the bowl game after Campbell opted out, but Adams winning the full-time job wasn't a given. Adams taking firm control of the position is reason for confidence. A similar sentiment could be said about Weston Davis at right tackle. Davis was a five-star in 2024, but saw sparse action as a true freshman. Now, LSU looks ready to roll with Davis as a redshirt freshman. LSU did good work in the transfer portal, signing Braelion Moore and Josh Thompson. According to 247Sports, LSU has the highest average offensive line transfer rating in the SEC. The Tigers didn't add quantity, but they got quality. With the transfer additions and young talents primed for breakouts, LSU should have a serviceable unit in 2025. 5. Florida Gators Florida's offensive front was one of the SEC's best in 2024, placing second in PFF run blocking grade and fourth in yards before contact. The Gators held up in pass protection, sitting in the 73rd percentile in pass blocking efficiency. Now, that unit returns four starters in 2025. Left tackle Austin Barber is the headliner. He's one of the SEC's most experienced tackles with three years of starting experience. Barber has allowed just nine QB hits in over 1,000 pass blocking snaps. He's been among the SEC's best run blockers since he entered the starting lineup. There's a lot for Gator fans to be excited about on the interior with center Jake Slaughter returning. Slaughter was All-SEC in 2024 and ESPN named Slaughter an All-American. Expect the Gators' center to be among the best in the country again. Damieon George played tackle in 2023 before kicking to guard in 2024. The move paid off as George was one of the SEC's top run blockers. The Gators' lone loss comes at right tackle, but offensive line coach Rob Sale earns the benefit of the doubt when it comes to development. He's one of the best in the business. Georgia's offensive line was questioned in 2024. The Bulldogs didn't look up to the high standard they had set in previous years, but the group still finished top five in PFF run blocking and pass blocking grade. Depth was tested and UGA was forced to play some musical chairs, but by the end of the year, the lineup stablized. Now, Monroe Freeling returns with a full offseason of work as the first-team left tackle. There's a lot to like about Freeling, and he looks primed for a breakout campaign in 2025. Georgia's interior offensive line was riddled by injuries last fall. The Dawgs lose key players up the middle, but Micah Morris and Drew Bobo should be solid players. At right guard, redshirt freshman Daniel Calhoun is projected to win the job. All of UGA's options are talented, and if it comes together, there's a chance Kirby Smart has the best offensive line in the SEC. 3. Texas Longhorns Texas had one of the best tackles in the country last year with Kelvin Banks. The Longhorns are replacing their star, but the room remains loaded with talent. Trevor Goosby is projected to anchor the left side in Banks' absence. Goosby stands at 6-foot-7 and was one of the SEC's elite pass blockers when he got the chance in 2024. On the other side, Brandon Baker slides in. Baker was a top-35 recruit and has all the physical tools to be a good SEC tackle. Goosby and Baker are new to full time roles, but there's a chance they form one of the best tackle duos in the country. On the interior, Texas has a handful of veterans, including former five-star DJ Campbell, who has the chance to be an All-SEC talent in 2025. Texas will have to replace Jake Majors at center, which won't be easy, but the room is led by one of the top offensive line coaches in the country -- Kyle Flood. Texas led the SEC in pass blocking efficiency last year, and the Longhorns should be close to the top again. 2. Texas A&M Aggies The Aggies have recruited well up front in recent years. They've seen some departures, but Mike Elko held onto the top guys when he took over as head coach. A&M's tackle duo is arguably the best in the conference. Left tackle Trey Zuhn is a proven veteran, a polished offensive lineman who plays with good pad level and understands how to use his hands. Zuhn's feet allow for quick recoveries if he's beaten off the ball. On the other side, Demetrious Crownover returns. Crownover isn't quite the finished product that Zuhn is, but he's a powerful tackle who strikes with power. Crownover's long arms make it tough for pass rushers to get their hands on him, though he struggles with speed rushers. With Ar'Maj Reed-Adams and Chase Bisontis, A&M is solid at guard. There are questions about the center spot, but four of five starters have experience and project to be plus players. The numbers like A&M, too, as the Aggies were one of the best at preventing sacks and tackles for loss. 1. Alabama Crimson Tide We're now two seasons removed from Nick Saban, but Alabama's roster remains loaded with talent, especially on the offensive line. It starts with left tackle Kadyn Proctor, who will draw attention as a preseason All-American. Proctor, a former five-star recruit, is entering his third year of college football and looks primed for a true breakout campaign. If Proctor takes another step, Alabama has the best offensive linemen in the country at left tackle. At center, Bama has one of the best in the SEC with Parker Brailsford. After a standout 2023 at Washington, Brailsford followed DeBoer to Alabama. Brailsford was quick to adjust to the SEC, not surrendering a sack all year. The Tide are well-positioned at guard with Jaeden Roberts and Kam Dewberry, too. The one question mark is right tackle, but there's enough talent in the room for Alabama to earn the benefit of the doubt. Bama's top three is strong with Proctor, Brailsford, and Roberts. Few programs in the country can match that trio.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How studying sushi chefs helped Clark Lea and Vanderbilt land top-100 CB Caden Harris
Four-star cornerback Caden Harris and Josh Puckett, his coach at Haywood (Tenn.) High School, heard from dozens of college coaches over the past few years. One of them didn't sound like the others. Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, a 43-year-old former political science major, didn't talk like a typical football coach. Especially when he went down a rabbit hole about raw fish. Advertisement 'He talked to us about studying and making sushi,' Puckett said, 'and how master sushi chefs in Japan perfected their craft and how he took it as (inspiration for) perfecting his craft in coaching and playing. 'It's something about (how) the ingredients never change in the sushi. So the only thing that can change is the way you prepare it and the way you go about making it.' Harris' hometown of Brownsville (population approximately 10,000) in West Tennessee may not be known for its spicy tuna rolls, but it does have one of the top defensive players in the Class of 2026. Harris, ranked No. 82 in the 247Sports Composite, likes Lea's vibe and smarts, and he also appreciates how the Commodores staff jumped on him early and made him the top priority during the recruiting process. So on April 29, Harris turned down the likes of Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame and Missouri to stay in-state and commit to Vanderbilt in a ceremony at his school. Not finished!⚓️💜 — Caden Harris (@therealcaden7_) April 30, 2025 Taking down No. 1 Alabama last October was clearly the biggest on-field win of Lea's four-year head coaching career. Landing Harris, who would be Vanderbilt's highest-rated signee of the modern recruiting era (dating back to 2002), is no doubt his biggest victory on the recruiting trail. Vanderbilt hasn't landed a top-100 recruit since signing Nifae Lealoa in the Class of 2014. 'From the start, Vanderbilt had been on me very hard so it wasn't very hard to see that it was a school I'd like to attend,' Harris said. 'With them being a great academic school … how their program is quickly turning, it was really Coach because coach Lea, he's a very educated guy. So any time he speaks, he drops a lot of gems. 'He talked a lot about stuff off the field and a lot of stuff with me being developed and a lot of things that are gonna really help me (with) growing and being a man. That just struck me.' Advertisement Harris was ranked in the 200s last spring but jumped 140 spots in the past year to cement himself firmly inside the top 100. At 6-feet, 160 pounds, he's on the small side among the nation's top corners, but his speed, Puckett said, made him a no-brainer for Power 4 programs everywhere. 'He's long and really, really fast. Fastest player I've ever coached. And so the physical tools are all there,' Puckett said. 'And that's why everybody loves him. That's why he got offered by pretty much everyone in the Southeast. 'He runs legit-legit 4.4 laser now.' Harris picked up his first Division I offer in May 2023, when TCU reached out ahead of his sophomore season. Memphis came two days later, and Mississippi State was the first SEC school to get in on the action later that month. Vanderbilt and Tennessee both offered within four days of each other in September 2023. As Harris trimmed his list down to Vanderbilt, Auburn, Missouri, Notre Dame and Georgia, he told Puckett about a week before his announcement that the Commodores would be the choice. Vanderbilt's staff was in on his decision ahead of time, too. He broke the news to several staffers over dinner at The Burger Basket, a restaurant in his hometown, then hopped on the phone with Lea to share the good news. 'They just thought they were coming on a routine visit,' Harris said. 'We kicked it for a while, talking about some ball, talked about some off-field things. … And right before they left, I hit them with it. 'It was pretty shocking for the public, of course. I think I surprised a lot of people, so it was pretty cool. Puckett said Vanderbilt did its part in creating an attractive package for Harris, which included the financial piece of the puzzle. NIL and revenue-sharing opportunities have become an important part of the process for top recruits. But Vanderbilt also backed up its product with its play on the field. Advertisement 'Obviously Vanderbilt made waves for themselves by winning the way they did,' Puckett said of the Commodores going 7-6 in 2024 after a 2-10 campaign in 2023. 'That opened up a lot of people's eyes. 'It's an interesting perspective — you can definitely go to places that are established and follow in the footsteps there and go down the road that other guys have gone and be successful. Or you could be the guy that goes and blazes his own path and goes a different route.' So what is Vanderbilt getting in Harris? In addition to his speed on the defensive end, he can help the Commodores on special teams. Puckett recalled a game last season against Crockett County when Harris fielded a punt off the bounce around the 5-yard line. 'You're like, 'Let it go, let it go,' and he picks it up and you're like, 'Oh no,'' Puckett said. 'And he makes two or three guys miss and he goes and scores from like 95 (yards) out. And so it goes from 'Oh no, oh no,' to 'Oh yes' rather quickly. He's just got that type of ability. And he can make bad coaching look very smart.' In the meantime, Vanderbilt will have to do everything possible to hang onto him. Harris said he wasn't sure if he would still take previously scheduled official visits to other programs. The Commodores have already been back to Brownsville for a visit, and Puckett expects to see them around again soon. 'I'm gonna create my own lane,' he said. 'They're getting a very disciplined player to come in, ready to work.' (Photo courtesy of Caden Harris)
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea promotes two defensive coaches ahead of spring practice
There's a new defensive coordinator in town. A new co-defensive coordinator, too. Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea on Monday named Steve Gregory the Commodores' new defensive coordinator, while Nick Lezynski was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Gregory and Lezynski take over the position from Lea. Gregory served as the Commodores' associate defensive coordinator and secondary coach last season, his first with the team. He and Lea were on the same coaching staff at Syracuse in 2015. Lezynski began his time at Vanderbilt in 2022, when he was a linebackers coach. The following season he was the defensive run game coordinator. He and Lea coached together for three years at Notre Dame. The Commodores finished 7-6 last season after defeating Georgia Tech 35-27 in Birmingham Bowl. Vanderbilt begins spring practice Tuesday and its spring game is scheduled for April 12. Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@ and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here. MORE: Vanderbilt women's basketball to be No. 8 seed in SEC tournament; could rematch with Tennessee This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea promotes two defensive coaches
