Fireworks Erupt on July 4th for the Class of 2022

July just got here, but what a month it has already been for Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea!  

The party started July 1, when the Commodores landed a commitment from 6’1” 205 lb. safety Miguel Mitchell from Oxford, Alabama.  Mitchell had offers from Wake Forest and Memphis among others.

https://247sports.com/player/miguel-mitchell-46114249/

It wasn’t even sunset on July 4^th, when Lea had his biggest fireworks.  On the heels of the Mitchell news, the Commodores received three more commitments on the Sunday afternoon which brought added excitement to the holiday setting.  

First up was 6’1” 193 lb. defensive back Kenzy Paul from Chattanooga McCallie school.  The three-star recruit had some impressive offers including Duke, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Penn State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

https://247sports.com/player/kenzy-paul-46109849/

Next to commit was 6’3.5” 200 lb. athlete Bryce Cowan from Tallahassee.  He is currently unrated, but had offers from Akron, Buffalo, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Georgetown, and Georgia State.  Cowan plays primarily safety for his high school team, but projects as a linebacker at Vandy.  

https://247sports.com/player/bryce-cowan-46115734/

The final commitment of the day came from 5’7” 175 lb. athlete KD Hutchinson from Hamilton, Georgia.  He is Lea’s first wide receiver in the recruiting class.  Although currently unrated and smaller in stature, Hutchinson brings blazing speed which Lea could potentially utilize in a variety of ways.  He also had offers from Louisville, Boston College, and Colorado. 

https://247sports.com/player/kd-hutchinson-46112883/

But the festivities didn’t stop there.  On Monday, 6’ 180 lb. cornerback Caleb Coley from Warner Robbins, Georgia became the latest to join the party.  As a three-star prospect, he had offers from Michigan State, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.  

https://247sports.com/Player/Caleb-Coley-46109468/

It’s obvious that defense is a huge focus of this class for Lea after finishing at or near the bottom of most every defensive category for the 2020 season.  In particular, adding speed to the secondary seems to be a high priority after Vandy’s defensive backs were shredded all too often by opposing quarterbacks this past season. These additions moved Vanderbilt’s class up to 33rd in the county, and 11^th in the SEC.