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Twenty-one members of Vanderbilt Football’s 2026 recruiting class officially signed their letters of intent on Wednesday, Dec. 3, for early signing day, marking yet another exciting new chapter for the program. Clark Lea and his staff have put together another solid class — ranked No. 30 in the country according to 247Sports — including several high-profile recruits that are likely set to make an impact immediately.
Lea held a press conference on Dec. 3 to discuss the 2026 class and what these young players bring to the program.
“We feel like we [had] some momentum here late and finished really strong,” Lea said. “Obviously, [I] think we set a course for sustained success and growth of success in this program.”
Of the 21 signees, Lea has already indicated that 20 of these players are set to early enroll this January. Most notably, five-star quarterback Jared Curtis — Vanderbilt’s highest-ranked signee in program history — will be on campus for spring practices as he fights for the 2026 starting position.
Curtis — the No. 1 overall player and quarterback in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite — was initially committed to Georgia but flipped to Vanderbilt on Dec. 2, just one day before planning to sign. This announcement sent shockwaves across the college football landscape, as Curtis has been a highly-touted prospect since his early years of high school at Nashville Christian.
“I just appreciate his belief in what we’re doing,” Lea said of Curtis. “I appreciate his belief in this program and where it’s headed.”
Due to the drama of Curtis’ last-minute flip, Lea dove more into the process to get the Nashville native to remain close to home to begin his collegiate career.
“As far as [Curtis’] process, I can’t emphasize [enough that] this has nothing to do with glitz and glam,” Lea said. “It has nothing to do with overarching your big sales pitches. This was about a player who was paying attention, and who I think saw some of himself in Diego [Pavia]. [He] created connection there and got around kind of the key relationships that will be important in development and growth here.”
Curtis projects as a day one starter for the Commodores, as he’s blown scouts away with his top-tier arm talent. Several analysts have already claimed him to be the most ready-to-play arm in the 2026 class, and he’s consistently shown a high football IQ over his four years of high school ball. While it’s hard to list him as a true dual-threat quarterback, Curtis has developed a greater ability to move out of the pocket and make plays with his legs — a hallmark of offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s style. His arm projects as likely the best in the entire 2026 class, as he’s consistently hitting throws of 40+ yards, sometimes even on the run.
When asked if Curtis stands a good shot to win the starting job, Lea unsurprisingly said that he will still have to win the job but did indicate that a potential to start from day one was a factor in his recruitment.
“He will absolutely have an opportunity to compete, just like the guys we have that are in our program,” Lea said. “It’s about putting the best 11 on the field. That is exactly the conversation that Jared and I have had, and that’s the same conversational [that] happens [for all] quarterbacks that are in our program.”
Another local product also signed with the Commodores on Wednesday: wide receiver Owen Cabell. The three-star recruit was initially committed to Alabama until he flipped his commitment to Vanderbilt on signing day.
Lea touched on the importance of earning commitments from top Nashville talent in his press conference.
“There’s such a talented recruiting base here,” Lea said. “It’s an opportunity for us to elevate our program, and the further we can reach into that, [it] makes this our recruiting hub. This program is the opportunity for Nashville kids to stay home and play at the highest level of college football.”
A pair of four-star recruits signed with Vanderbilt on Wednesday — safety Chris Tangelo and running back Evan Hampton. Tangelo is the higher rated of the two according to the 247Sports Composite and could easily make an impact in the 2026 season.
Current safety Marlen Sewell will run out of eligibility after the 2025 season, so there will be a hole at the safety position that Tangelo could potentially fill. He’ll still have to fight against fellow teammates like Dontae Carter for significant playing time, but his speed, athleticism and size project well for the position.
Hampton is an intriguing prospect as well, as he is a stockier running back with plenty of strength to burst through contact. He’ll likely sit behind current backs Sedrick Alexander and MK Young next season, though, unless he proves his worth in spring ball or either Alexander or Young hits the transfer portal. Still, he could be used in select packages — similar to that of AJ Newberry this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Lea brought in eight players for a variety of positions. Jace McCallum, currently listed to play edge, is the Commodores’ second-highest graded defensive signee. With the departure of current edge Miles Capers for eligibility reasons after 2025, he could fit nicely in defensive coordinator Steve Gregory’s system. McCallum has nice reach but will likely need to put on a bit of weight once he arrives on campus, as he currently sits at 220 pounds.
Collin Flanigan, Antione Baker and Jeremy Garner II are Vanderbilt’s three cornerback signees, a clear position of need for Lea and Co. as the Commodores’ defense currently ranks No. 127 in the country in passing yards allowed. It’s tough to know whether any of these players will make an impact in their first year, but Flanigan possesses the most upside of the group.
Defensive lineman Daryl Campbell is the Commodores’ only signee at this position, and he is an extremely powerful and strong player. It’s been noted that his pass rush ability could use some development once he reaches campus, but his size and pop off the line of scrimmage are certainly there.
In terms of offensive recruits, Lea brought in a host of weapons to support Curtis. Namely, tight end Tilden Riley could be the heir to current tight end and projected NFL talent Eli Stowers. He’s got fantastic size and high points the ball well. Fellow tight end signee Adam Gehm could develop nicely, although Riley seems to be the better prospect.
A host of offensive lineman — Pulelei’ite Primus, Mitchell Smith, Tripp Skewes, Michael Smith and George Haseotes — are included in Lea’s class as well. It’s expected that Lea will still bring in several transfers for this position group to allow these young freshmen time to develop.
Time will tell if some of these players will make an impact in the 2026 season. Still, this strong recruiting class bodes well for the future of the program as Lea continues to build a powerhouse on West End.
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