Vanderbilt is keeping one of the nation’s premiere cornerbacks inside the state.
Caden Harris, the No. 12 cornerback in the Rivals250, committed to the Commodores on Tuesday — electing to play for Clark Lea in his home state despite strong efforts from Auburn, Georgia, and others.
Harris valued the Vanderbilt staff’s loyalty and approach with the blue-chipper.
“Vanderbilt is building something really great there and I want to be a part of it,” Harris told Rivals of his commitment. “They’ve been on me hard since the beginning of my recruitment. Coach Lea is a great guy and something is being built great there in Vanderbilt. I want to be a part of it.”
The touted 2026 cornerback from Brownsville (Tenn.) Haywood High built a strong connection with multiple coaches on Vanderbilt’s coaching staff — and in particular, Lea.
The Commodores’ staff-wide approach resonated with Harris as he locked in to make his college decision.
“It was a hard decision. A lot of coaches around the country recruited me hard, but this staff made the huge pull for me … they made me feel like a priority, and that was a big. As an in-state kid, it was hard to turn down the opportunity to stay home and play in the SEC,” said Harris, the No. 131 overall player in the Rivals250.
“They’ve been on me since the beginning — they went about building the relationship the right way. I’ve built great relationships with everyone on the staff,” he continued. “They always stayed in contact with me. Being a prestigious school, it was great for my academic career. Being in-state, playing for a school in Tennessee can set me up for where I wanna be.”
Additionally, the head coach’s involvement sent a clear message to the four-star cornerback.
“Coach Lea is a very straightforward guy,” Harris started. “Being a defensive guy, you want a head coach who leans a little bit toward the defense. He knows a lot about that, he works with the defensive backs a lot, and there’s a lot of people on staff in that DB room.
“They’re building something great there. Going there, I think I can open a lot of doors for guys under me and recruit some of this class,” he added. “We’re trying to have a top class.”
