Exclusive: Vanderbilt Football 2027 Quarterback Commit Details His Decision and Fit With Commodores – Sports Illustrated

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It all started with a connection that the quarterback coach of 2027 Vanderbilt commit Matthew Smith had with a previous Commodore commit. Danny Hernandez —Smith’s position coach at Santa Margarita Catholic in Rancho Santa Margarita, California — first got familiar with Vanderbilt football’s coaching staff when the program offered 2026 quarterback recruit Mike Mitchell Jr. in 2024.
Mitchell committed to Vanderbilt in September of 2024 before he ultimately decommitted in November 2025. Hernandez still kept in contact with the Commodores’ staff, though, and eventually got Smith in touch with the program.
Soon enough, Smith found himself on an official visit to Nashville, where he started to form relationships with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, offensive coordinator Tim Beck and quarterbacks coach Trenton Kirklin.
After being shown the vision the Commodore coaches had to help and develop him, Smith was quickly bought in. On the night of June 15, the three-star quarterback announced he is committed to play collegiately at Vanderbilt.
“My number one priority going into it was establishing a good relationship with them and I think head coach Lea, offensive coordinator Beck and QB coach TK [Kirklin] did a great job demonstrating how they plan to help me grow and get better at this great game,” Smith told Vandy On SI over text.
Smith chose to play at Vanderbilt over Princeton. While that may be a surprise for some to hear, Smith is a player that also seems to factor in the educational aspect of his college decision considerably. In the end, though, the opportunity to play in the SEC was too good to pass on.
Smith’s relationship with Lea also played a significant role in his decision to commit to Vanderbilt. Smith recalled Lea telling him “numerous” times on his visit to Nashville that winning is the ultimate goal of the progam.
“You can tell by speaking to coach Lea that he is an intelligent individual, definitely a deep thinker. He loves competing and wants to foster a culture of winning,” Smith said. “I think coach does a great job fostering the culture and defining the steps necessary to execute that mission.”
So, what kind of player is Vanderbilt getting with Smith’s commitment?
Smith is a self-described mobile pocket passer. A quarterback that is not afraid to run if needed, but also believes in himself to make the throws that need to be made. Perhaps another way of putting it is that Smith is a quarterback that does not go out on the field trying to play hero ball, but rather play selflessly for the greater good of the team.
“It is my job to get the ball to the playmakers on the team. It is not my job to make the big play, it is my job to make the smart play. I can run if needed and pick up a few yards and extend plays. But I pride myself on my knowledge of the game and understanding of the playbook,” Smith said. “I’m an on-field extension of my offensive coordinator and I am there to execute, adjust protections, read defenses and spin it.”
Smith says the quarterbacks he tries to model himself after are former New Orleans Saints legendary quarterback Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
There is a self-belief to Smith in that he feels his game will translate smoothly to the SEC level. The Rancho Santa Margarita, California native plays in the Trinity League currently at the high school level, which Smith feels is the most talented high school league in the country.
“Trinity prepares the players in the league for the next level and is a proving ground for high-level and elite players on both sides of the ball,” Smith said.
Smith admits to watching a solid amount of Vanderbilt film over the past couple of seasons. From the film he has seen combined with the conversations he has had with Vanderbilt’s coaching staff, he feels like his play style will fit right in.
“I think coach Beck does an outstanding job at implementing the quarterback strengths into the playbook and using that to improve the players around him,” Smith told Vandy On SI.
Smith told Vandy On SI that he does not have any other visits planned or scheduled at this time.
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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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