Recruiting Rundown: Vanderbilt Adds to 2026 Class

A 3-Star prospect, Vollmer is the No. 39 player in the state of Ohio and the No. 60 ranked athlete in the nation, according to 247Sports. Though he lines up at multiple positions on both offense and defense, the Commodores are reportedly recruiting him to play linebacker.

He told Robbie Weinstein of 247Sports following the commitment, "Coach (Nick) Lezynski, coach (Clark) Lea and the staff did a great job of painting the image in my head of how I would fit in, how I would impact the team and where they see me on the field. And that was at linebacker."

In more class of 2026 recruiting news, Vanderbilt landed in the top schools for two elite prospects this week: 4-Stars Landen Miree and Evan Hampton.

Miree, a tight end prospect from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, is ranked as the No. 23 player in the state and is a top-500 player in the country, according to 247Sports. He named the Commodores among Arizona State, Florida State, Missouri, LSU, Auburn, Cincinnati, Washington, Pitt, SMU and Wisconsin.

Hampton, a running back from Owensboro, Kentucky, is also rated as a 4-Star prospect by 247Sports and is ranked as the No. 5 player in the state. Last season, he finished with an impressive 147 rush attempts for over 1,300 yards and 17 scores.

He named Vanderbilt among six other schools, including Duke, Louisville, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Indiana and North Carolina State.

The Commodores also extended several offers this week, looking to continue bolstering the class.

The first was offensive tackle prospect Hugh Smith from Missouri City, Texas. Though unranked currently, Smith stands at 6-foot-4, 275 lbs., possessing great size for an offensive line prospect. While he may be slightly undersized to play tackle, his build is perfect for interior lineman and he could be a candidate, like Vollmer, to change positions.

Next was cornerback prospect Marcell Gipson, Jr. from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas. Rated as a 3-Star prospect by 247Sports, he is a 5-foot-10, 170 lb. speedy defender with the ability to run with nearly any receiver.

A multi-sport athlete, Gipson, Jr. also competes in track and field. In 2023 he posted a personal best long jump of 6.32 meters and all the way back in 2022, as an eighth grader, he posted a 100m dash time of 14.69 seconds, per Athletic.net.

Kevin Young, Jr., an unranked running back prospect in next year's class, also received an offer from the Commodores this week. Hailing from Forrest City, Arkansas, he stands at 5-foot-11, 205 lbs. and holds an offer from one other SEC program; Missouri. Last season, as a junior, he finished with 34 carries for 241 yards and five touchdowns and also compiled 16 total tackles, two of which went for a loss, and an interception and fumble recovery.

The next player that received an offer was defensive lineman Jake Johnson from Prosper, Texas. Rated as a 3-Star prospect by 247Sports, Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 290 lb. defender with gret power at the point of attack that he uses to plow through blockers.

Ian Premer, an elite tight end prospect from Great Bend, Kansas, was the next to pick up a Commodores offer. 247Sports rates the 6-foot-5, 220 lb. target as a 4-Star prospect and the No. 1 player in the state of Kansas. He would be the second ranked recruit in program history for Vanderbilt, so he is certainly a player of high priority in this class.

A multi-sport athlete, Premer plays football, basketball and baseball and is being recruited at a high level in each of them. On the gridiron, he lines up on both offense and defense and finished last season with over 800 all-purpose yards and ten touchdowns as well as 50 total tackles and three interceptions.

The final player to pick up a Vanderbilt offer this week was defensive lineman Kevontay Hugan. Rated as a 3-Star prospect by On3, Hugan is a 6-foot-3, 235 lb. defender that plays with a high motor and frequently finds himself in the backfield.

The Sarasota, Florida native put up gaudy number this season as a junior, finishing with 118 total tackles, 36 TFL's and 18.0 sacks. While he is under the radar currently as a prospect, a player with his production will likely find himself highly sought after by the end of the 2026 cycle.

The Commodores also welcomed visitors to Nashville this week, two of which took to social media to share their reactions.

Adam Gehm, a 3-Star tight end prospect from Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, Pennsylvania said in his post, "Had a great time in Nashville today visiting [Vanderbilt]. I appreciate all the coaches and staff for the great hospitality. Can't wait to be back."

Ashley Walker, another 2026 prospect, was also in the Music city this week taking a visit to campus. He said in his post on social media, "Had a phenomenal time in Nashville yesterday. Thank you [Clark Lea, Chris Klenakis, Tim Beck] for having me. I really appreciate the warm hospitality."

The 6-foot-7, 290 lb. tackle prospect is unranked currently but, given his size, possesses a ton of potential.

Vanderbilt safeties coach Melvin Rice, Jr. was in Atlanta, Georgia this week visiting with Blake Stewart, a 4-Star safety in the 2026 recruiting class. The 5-foot-11, 170 lb. defender is ranked as the No. 26 player overall in the Peach state.

2025 Football Signees

1. CB Vanzale Hinton, 6-foot, 185 lbs. - Paducah, Kentucky (Signed 12/04/2024)
2. CB Cayden Daniels, 5-foot-11, 170 lbs. - Cordele, Georgia (signed 12/04/2024)
3. EDGE George Okorie, 6-foot-1, 222 lbs. - Nigeria (Signed 12/04/2024)
4. EDGE Jake Stanish, 6-foot-4, 230 lbs. - Napierville, Illinois (12/04/2024)
5. LB Josiah Broxton, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. - Tallahassee, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
6. LB Austin Howard, 6-foot-1, 226 lbs. - Bartlett, Tennessee (Signed 12/04/2024)
7. QB Jack Elliott, 5-foot-11, 195 lbs. - Chicago, Illinois (Signed 12/04/2024)
8. RB Gabe Fields, 6-foot, 200 lbs. - Saint Joseph, Missouri (Signed 12/04/2024)
9. S Davin Chandler, 6-foot-2, 180 lbs. - Berlin, Maryland (Signed 12/04/2024)
10. S Carson Lawrence, 6-foot-2, 194 lbs. - Chattanooga, Tennessee (Signed 12/04/2024)
11. WR Cameran Dickson, 6-foot, 170 lbs. - Corpus Christi, Texas (Signed 12/04/2024)
12. WR Lebron Hill, 6-foot-4, 180 lbs. - Hammond, Indiana (Signed 12/04/2024)
13. WR Kayleb Barnett, 5-foot-8, 150 lbs. - Janks, Oklahoma (Signed 12/04/2024)

2026 Football Commits

1. ATH Daniel Vollmer, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 02/05/2025)
2. QB Michael Mitchell, Jr., 5-foot-11, 185 lbs. - San Francisco, California (Committed 09/21/2024)

Stay locked into the Vanderbilt football recruiting tracker for more on the 2026 class and beyond.