Top-20 rising senior Gabe Nesmith committed to Vanderbilt on Tuesday, giving coach Mark Byington the highest-ranked recruit of his career.
Nesmith is the cousin of Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith, who played two seasons at Vanderbilt. He chose the Commodores over Providence, taking visits to both programs.
“Mark Byington is a great and detail-oriented coach,” Nesmith told ESPN. “He takes the time to get to know you as a person.
“He is a true players’ coach. I watched practice — he coaches team basketball. They are an unselfish group.”
Vanderbilt showed consistency in his recruitment, even when Nesmith was out with an injury.
“What really made a big difference in my recruitment was when I broke my foot. I was on my visit when my foot was broken,” Nesmith said. “They continued to recruit me hard. I appreciated that and did not forget it.”
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Atlanta who plays for Overtime Elite, Nesmith is ranked No. 20 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2027. He’s considered the No. 3 shooting guard in the country.
He has been one of the most productive offensive players on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring, averaging 18.6 points for the Nightrydas. He averaged 22.5 points in the four Session III games in Kansas City in late May.
Nesmith has a tight and controlled handle that allows him to get to his spots comfortably, whether it’s all the way to the rim or in the midrange. He finishes bigger than his height, absorbs contact well and consistently plays on balance. He stood out at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, making shots under control using his size, strength, touch and elevation.
What makes Nesmith different is that he does not settle. He also utilizes a floater in the paint when needed and is a truly versatile scorer.
Byington and Vanderbilt are coming off of a 2026 recruiting cycle in which they landed three SC Next 100 recruits to finish with the No. 17 class in the country. That class came after a seven-year stretch without a single SC Next 100 recruit.
