Jul 19, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea addresses the media during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

HC Clark Lea: Vanderbilt 'will be the best program in the country' in time

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Alex Evans | Last updated 7/19/22

Vanderbilt will likely not end up atop the SEC standings this season, but it will not be due to a lack of confidence.

The SEC is holding its annual media days this week, and first-year Vanderbilt head football coach Clark Lea spoke on Tuesday. Lea offered a bold prediction about the future of his program.

“We know in time Vanderbilt football will be the best program in the country,” Lea told reporters.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea: “We know in time Vanderbilt will be the best football program in the country.”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 19, 2022

While Lea’s confidence is commendable, it may take quite a long time for the Commodores to be among the elite programs in college football. Having served as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2020, Lea is pretty used to winning. But wins may be hard to come by for the Commodores, who were 2-10 last season.

Formerly led by Derek Mason, Vanderbilt has lost 21 consecutive conference games. Their last SEC win came against Missouri in October 2019. The Commodores have not had a winning season since their 9-4 record in 2013 when Penn State head coach James Franklin was leading the team. They have gone 26-57 since Franklin left after the 2014 season.

But there may be some signs that the program is headed in the right direction. Vanderbilt has the 32nd-ranked recruiting class for 2022 according to 247 Sports’s composite rankings, ahead of Utah, Baylor and Wisconsin.

Unfortunately for Lea and Vanderbilt, their journey to the top of the college football world may get off to a bumpy start this season. The Commodores play their first SEC game of the season on Sept. 24 at Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won 22 consecutive games over Vanderbilt, including a 59-0 drubbing during their most recent matchup.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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