-Really impressed with Coach Lea (per usual) - the compliments seem to increase every year from the other media members. Feels like the respect for him and his program has grown dramatically after the two SEC wins last season

-Ethan Barr is very well-spoken. He had media members all over him.

-Jaylen Mahoney didn't say much, but he did have an interesting answer to a recruiting question that I may have a story on soon

-Will Sheppard somehow looked even bigger. He seems to have learned a lot under this coaching staff and loves playing for Clark Lea.

Enjoy my recap!

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CLARK LEA

Welcomes everyone to Nashville on behalf of the school
Nashville is a loyal partner to their program
A year ago they were looking for an identity and that led to struggles but they found flashes of success at the end of the year.
“We will never be satisfied with 5-7. … We will not back down from (our goal of) being the best football program in the nation.”
“Our goal is postseason play.”
“Progress is seldom linear and not guaranteed.”
“The chip on my shoulder is still there, and it’s still important.”
Diiermier and Lee are “the best partners I could ever ask for.”
“As I look out my window daily, I look at the physical transformation of our spaces.”
“We’re playing the long game at Vanderbilt. … We’ve chosen to set our foundation on deep and solid ground and are committed to seeing our mission through.”

QUESTION ABOUT BARTON SIMMONS
He’s been such a great partner
“The truth is, that hire was made back in the seventh grade.”
Talked them being close friends and staying in touch.
“It wasn’t always supported by our wives but we had long conversations about development… and where some the flaws are in the system of evaluation… and what’s valued externally that sometimes can be misplaced internally… we wanted to re-imagine what recruiting can be. … because we are developmentally-based, their performance will amplify.”
Said Barr and Sheppard’s only Power 5 offers were Vanderbilt
The alignment in vision on being a developmental program has been fun.
Barton is also a Nashvillian; his wife isn’t going anywhere, “this partnership will go for a long time.”

ON IMPROVING ON DEFENSE AND PLAYING YOUNG GUYS
We do return snaps at corner but just because they’ve played a bunch doesn’t give us the best chance to win.
Game is won and lost on the perimeter
They have some second-year players who are further along.
They also have a true freshman who has a chance to make an impact.
The way they start won’t be the way they finish.
Their goal is to get these guys exposure and having a good receiving corps to go against in practice will help

QUESTION ABOUT TEXAS AND COMING TO NASHVILLE IN 2024
To add Texas and Oklahoma is a statement
Competitors measure themselves against the very best
He wants teams to feel like Vanderbilt is tough and has the weapons to be dangerous
They were inconsistent in showing up, they hope to be better in that regard next year.

HAVE FACILITIES HELPED RECRUITING
Yes
When he accepted the job, plans were in place and they could start talking about it then
DIermeier is a big football fan
He’s sat with Diermeer and Barton for an hour and a half at a time just spitballing on recruiting
Soon they’ll be talking about best-in-class resources, and when has that ever happened for us?
Vanderbilt is 1-of-1 because of sports/school/city

ON CONSTRUCTION, HOW PATIENT WILL THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS
Joked to Teresa Walker that he’s asked to clear the path to the press elevator
They can’t treat it as unfortunate, they have to celebrate it as progress
As a fan, this is a great moment
There won’t be another year where they have that level of construction
Let’s embrace and have fun with it
1-2 years from now we’ll have a tough place to come to play for an opponent
The jackhammers aren’t convenient but they are progress

BLITZ RATE RISING FROM 18% to 28%, WILL THAT CONTINUE?
Nick Howell is the DC, he’ll call the defenses, he’s an aggressive dude and play-caller
They want to shorten the down with a four-man front
The game is won and lost on the perimeter
They’ve seen progress in the defensive front
The DL was their most improved unit this spring, that allows them to be coverage-based
Howell might send 7-8 guys at times

NORTHWESTERN SITUATION, DO THEY ADDRESS/GUARD AGAINST HAZING?
It’s sad on so many levels but hard to comment because he’s not at NW
Anything that’s not a value-add for student-athletes, they’ve lost their way as coaches
They’re there to help players with a launching point to the future
They live out their values every single day
Sometimes behaviors start very small, they need to know and have boundaries
A lot of the broader problems in the sport have to do with lack of boundaries, you can’t create synergy without those
They have boundaries where people can speak up and say “this isn’t quite what I wanted” and that’s the goal
They have five covenants and one is “true brotherhood” and that’s inconsistent with abuse
It’s a partnership and so it’s not just about his message, it’s how that’s actualized
They will continue to create a culture “where people feel comfortable speaking up when something seems off.”

ELIJAH MCALLISTER, WHAT IS AUBURN GETTING?
A first-class person with length who plays hard
He’s a Vandy grad
They stay in touch, the college football world needs for him to have a platform

LOSING RAY DAVIS, HOW MUCH PRESSURE DOES THAT PUT ON SWANN/HOW DO THEY REPLACE?
They appreciate Ray but he also ran behind a bunch of guys who return
Gillespie and Smith are capable and they add talented freshmen
AJ will grow from year 1 to 2 and that’ll have to do with consistency in execution
They won’t change who they are
They won’t skip a beat in the run game
They’re excited for those guys to come together in fall camp

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They think Owen and Bradfield will be first from their respective organizations to get to the majors.

Per their IG. Troy is just so inconsistent it’s hard to be excited about that. Hilboki coming back is big tho, that’s a quality bullpen arm.

According to the TENNESSEAN "Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee football will learn the NCAA verdict in a high-profile recruiting scandal at noon ET today." Any predictions as to what the verdicts will be for Pruitt and his assistants, and for UT?

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- Chatted with Utley tonight for more of a national update, but did ask him specifically about Vanderbilt, who is among his recently released Top 12. During the summer, the local Ensworth product took trips to Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, and Miami. Out of those four programs, he's had a long standing relationship with the coaches at Oklahoma, who were previously at Clemson, that includes Sooners head coach Brent Venables. With Florida, that was his second time on their campus. Texas is his latest offer and made the cut and he told me the Miami coaches are very energetic when he was down there.

When it comes to Vanderbilt, Utley had a ton of positive things to say about his relationship with the coaching staff. The most obvious thing mentioned, was how the staff already makes him feel at home and is always welcoming whenever he stops by campus. I'll post an update with quotes in the next day or so, but this seems to be a fight Vandy will have a good shot with. Make a bowl game this year, and you're looking even better. Commodores also landed a commitment from his teammate Jaren Sensabaugh as well. That can't hurt either.

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- Vanderbilt became the first power five offer for Muhammad in early June after he impressed the coaches at camp. Wide receiver coach Alex Bailey had been communicating with him for a bit and invited him to camp, where he worked out at WR and cornerback as well. Said he really enjoyed the experience with Vandy and is planning to return for a game visit this fall. The local team, Memphis, also offered this summer and Temple has also offered as well. Muhammad said he's planning to also attend a game at Memphis this fall. But, another example of Vanderbilt evaluating and getting in on in-state talent early.

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- Also talked with Sterling, who picked up a Vanderbilt offer after impressing at camp last month. Once again, the Commodores were his first power five offer and he's since picked up one from Tulane. He told me he really loved the camp experience and said the coaching staff never let their campers lack. He worked a lot with Haye and Black during the camp and said they liked his "SEC level size and ability." He plans to return for a game this fall sometime as well.

Commodore Nation!! Billy Derrick here, formerly of The Dore Report, a fan podcast that many of you are probably familiar with. I have handed the TDR keys to Will Byrum and Trevor Hulan. I hope many of you continue to listen, but I'll be joining VandySports.com to elevate the coverage for you guys even more.

First off, I can't thank Chris Lee enough for the opportunity of a lifetime. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the longevity of this site and that is due, in large part, to his hard work and dedication. Born and raised in Nashville, I grew up going to football, basketball, and baseball games and listening to the VandySports podcast. When Chris approached me about this idea, there was really zero hesitation. The credibility, relationships, and experiences I'll be able to have while a part of the VandySports team is unparalleled. For a dream opportunity, thank you, Chris.

I also can't wait to work with Joey Dwyer, Sean Williams, Luke Wyatt, Chip Fridrich, Justin Angel, and Drew Toennies to provide the very best coverage Vandy fans have ever had. Joey's work on the beat has been outstanding, he caught my eye immediately. Sean has been covering recruiting longer than most. Luke and Chip are entrenched into the fabric of Vanderbilt as much as anyone. Drew is another talented recruiting guru. That team of coverage is tough to beat.

I know Chris has told y'all about some of the coverage plans, but I'm here to say prepare yourself for elite content. It all starts Tuesday morning with Clark Lea taking the podium at SEC Media Days. Fall camp starts the week after and before you know it, Vandy & Hawaii will be knocking heads.

Also: My first article has been posted, Father Ryan (My alma mater, ironically) LHP Matthew Shorey committing to Vanderbilt.

Looking forward to providing you with more great coverage!

The Commodores are pursuing Jacob Bradford, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback from Catholic (La.) in the class of 2025 that collected his first SEC offer from Vanderbilt this past June.

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Bradford sat down with VandySportsDotCom to detail the Commodores' involvement in his recruitment as well as his interest in the program.

Bradford said that Vanderbilt defensive analyst Jimmy Thompson has been involved in his recruitment since last summer, making a great impression on the Commodores' coaching staff during a camp.

"Vanderbilt is my first SEC offer and I am still excited," Bradford said. "The coaching staff has really made me feel like I could contribute to this team. Coach Thompson has been recruiting me since last summer. I just wanted to get up there and show them what God has blessed me with during the camp. I truly felt like I was not going to leave without leaving an impression on the Vanderbilt coaching staff and many of the top players in the nation."

Bradford said that he was able to catch a glimpse of West End during his last visit and is eager to learn more about both Vanderbilt's academics and football program. He added that he plans on visiting on a gameday next season and coming back for his official visit very soon.

"I am very eager to learn more about the academic and football programs at Vanderbilt," Bradford said. "During my brief visit, I was able to experience some of the culture Nashville offered. I do plan on visiting a game and making an official visit in the near future."

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In addition to the offer from Vanderbilt, Bradford holds opportunities from Grambling State and Marshall. He added that he does not have any other visits scheduled at the moment.

Tom Cruise is certainly an odd dude, but there’s no one better at pumping out banger action movies like him. Dead Reckoning Part 1 was another great installment to the franchise. Has anyone else seen it?