Vanderbilt prepared to keep 2025 momentum going with Clark Lea extension, QB pursuit

The Vanderbilt Commodores took an important step on Friday to remain an SEC and College Football Playoff contender next season, and another could soon follow.

ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported that CFP No. 14 Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 in SEC) and head coach Clark Lea came to terms on a six-year contract that "includes a significant salary increase" and keeps him with the program through the 2031 season.

Vanderbilt hired Lea, a former assistant under Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, in December 2020 to a six-year deal, then gave him a three-year extension ahead of the 2023 season. That move proved wise. After going 9-27 from 2021-23, Vanderbilt is 16-8 over the past two seasons and a win away from the first 10-win campaign in program history.

Clark Lea extension should keep Vanderbilt competitive in future seasons

Lea could have been a candidate for a job at programs with richer football traditions, but he's building quite the legacy at Vanderbilt, where he played fullback from 2002-04. The Commodores have gone from a feel-good story to a legitimately good team, and Lea's extension should keep the program from fading back into irrelevance anytime soon.

As important as it was for Vandy to keep Lea, it's no coincidence his most successful two seasons have come with Heisman candidate quarterback Diego Pavia, who previously played at New Mexico State but followed head coach Jerry Kill to Vanderbilt after he accepted a role as senior offensive advisor and chief consultant to Lea.

With Pavia, a sixth-year senior, out of college eligibility following this season, Vanderbilt also is making inroads on finding his 2026 replacement, per ESPN recruiting reporter Eli Lederman.

The ESPN insider shared that Vanderbilt is aggressively pursuing five-star quarterback prospect Jared Curtis, a Georgia commit who is from Nashville. Per 247Sports, he's the No. 3 player in the 2026 class, behind fellow quarterback Keisean Henderson (Houston) and Faizon Brandon (Tennessee).

Lederman reported that Curtis "could have the chance to start from Day 1 with the Commodores next fall." That will certainly play into their recruiting pitch, and with true freshmen including Bear Bachmeier (BYU), Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal) and Bryce Underwood (Michigan) experiencing degrees of success early in their careers this fall, Curtis — if Lea is successful in flipping his commitment — may give Vanderbilt a chance to compete right away.