Exclusive: What Sold Adekunbi Adetayo on Vanderbilt Football and Why It is the Right Fit – Sports Illustrated

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It did not take a long time for four-star EDGE Adekunbi Adetayo to be sold on Vanderbilt. In fact, it only took a couple months from the moment the Commodores first reached out.
Vanderbilt entered into Adetayo’s recruitment journey in the late stages. In March of this spring, the Commodores reached out to the Newark, New Jersey native initially asking for Adetayo’s measurements such as his wingspan, height and weight. Shortly after, Vanderbilt defensive ends coach Adam Morris gave Adetayo a call one evening after football practice to extend an offer to him.
Two months later, Adetayo went on a visit to Vanderbilt during the final weekend of May where he got to continue to develop relationships with the coaching staff. The visit went so well that he could not help but feel like Nashville was home.
Then, the final selling point that made Adetayo want to commit.
“Coach Lea [Vanderbilt head football coach Clark Lea], I feel like the main thing for me was the stress of being a family. I feel like after that, it was a similar play style. Playing for the one next to you, playing for your brother. That means a lot to me, that’s one of my top reasons,” Adetayo told Vandy On SI.
Lea was not shy about his vision with Adetayo on his visit, either. Adetayo told Vandy On SI that every time Lea had a chance to say it, he would tell Adetayo that there will be a national championship coming to Vanderbilt.
The vision for Vanderbilt to win a national title is something that Lea and his program are never hesitant to admit. The Commodores are a program of guys that want to make their goals known, regardless of what outsiders think. Lea has got not just his current players, but his recruits to buy into that. And though it has not happened yet, numbers from the past two seasons show that the program is pushing toward that ultimate direction.
In terms of what Vanderbilt has to do to get there, Adetayo believes it is all about willpower.
“I believe it’s going to happen. I want to be able to be a part of making that happen. I feel like it is just about the want. When I get there, I just hope to be in an environment where everybody wants it. And I feel like I will because I’ve been around the players. Everybody had the same goal.”
In terms of why Vanderbilt is a good fit, Adetayo sees his play style as a need for Vanderbilt defensively. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound describes himself as a speed rusher that is able to make plays in the pass rush.
Adetayo looks up to New York Giants EDGE Abdul Carter, Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl EDGE rusher Micah Parsons and new Tampa Bay Buccaneers EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
“Talking with coach Morris and others on the coaching staff, I noticed a lot of what they were needing is more like the versatile, speedy EDGE rushers rather than the power defensive ends. They want EDGEs that are going to get to the quarterback as soon as possible,” Adetayo said. “With me, once I’m able to craft my abilities to the best of my ability, my addition to Vanderbilt will be being a player who will be able to get as much after the quarterback as possible and also being able to stop the run.”
Before he gets to Vanderbilt, Adetayo knows he has to continue to work on his craft and improve before he faces off against SEC teams nine times a season. The points of emphasis he wants to focus on are having a faster get off move and familiarizing himself more with blocking recognition.
It does seem that Vanderbilt has a player that not only feels like he can help bring Vanderbilt to a level it has never been, but a player that is going to stay loyal to the Commodores. He told Vandy On SI that he does not have any other visits planned or scheduled. Though he is not going to make an official announcement of a recruitment shutdown like a couple other recruits have, he is committed to Lea’s group.
“I mean, I’m Vandy’d out,” Adetayo told Vandy On SI.
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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