Exclusive: Martel Hight Tried His Luck At Receiver, But He's Given Cornerback All His Focus
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NASHVILLE—When Martel Hight sat in front of the screen in the hours following Vanderbilt’s 2025 win over Georgia State and watched his cornerback reps back, he was horrified.
Hight–who seems to remember specific plays and moments more than anyone on Vanderbilt’s roster–didn’t fully realize it in the moment, but he internalized it when he watched his 16 defensive snaps back. He was terrible. His footwork was all over the place. He wasn’t patient. He was too relaxed.
On a day when Vanderbilt put together a performance as complete as any of its 2025 season, Hight posted a 32.4 overall grade. He was bad enough to have an epiphany.
“I’m like ‘God, man, I need to hone back in on being a DB,’” Hight told Vandy on SI. “So, I came in and told my coach that I was all over the place and I needed to hone in on DB work again.”
At that point, Hight was playing cornerback, wide receiver and was returning punts. Hight still doesn’t believe he was stretched too thin because of how Vanderbilt’s coaching staff managed his workload. He knew he needed a change, though. He knew he needed to get back to his roots.
After Vanderbilt’s win over Georgia State, Hight played just 13 snaps at receiver and never took more than five in a game. Over 80% of his snaps at corner came after his decision to ditch the utility role and move back to full-time work there. And, Hight’s decision appeared to pay off immediately.
Hight had just one game following week four in which he graded out below a 50 and had three outings in which he graded out over a 70. Hight’s best outing came against Kentucky, when he received a 93.9 grade–which was a career best.
“We were trying to do a lot with him this time last year,” Lea said. ”We were playing him both ways, and I felt like his performance suffered as a corner. I think as we really honed in and had him focus on defense, you saw his play potential start to peak.”
When it was all said and done, Hight was the only player in FBS with more than 70 yards in interception returns, more than 50 receiving yards and more than 50 yards in kick returns. More importantly, he was back to being an effective corner. Hight likely wouldn’t profess that 2025 was a career year for him, but he made up ground and racked up four interceptions in the last eight games of the season.
Hight came to Vanderbilt as a cornerback. He built a name as a cornerback. He loved playing receiver, but he knew what was good for him. Vanderbilt cornerbacks coach Jamaal Richardson did, too.
“I think he sees me as having more potential of me being a corner in the league than a receiver, so in order for me to be at my best I need to practice more at DB,” Hight said. “I’ve definitely bought into it. I miss receiver, love receiver. If my name’s called, I really want to go back, but being a corner and playing corner is a different mentality that you have to take towards the game and I’m all with it.”
There doesn’t appear to be any sense of regret around Vanderbilt’s program in regard to the decision to make Hight a three-way player, but those within it aren’t hiding from the fact that it didn’t play out the way they hoped it would. Vanderbilt thought it was relatively light at cornerback entering 2025, but was stronger than it was. Hight’s performance also suffered more at cornerback than Vanderbilt hoped he would.
Program sources don’t blame Hight for any shortcomings in 2025, but they aren’t shy that his impact wasn’t maximized. Some of that, they feel, is out of anyone’s hands. Richardson recalls that a concussion Hight suffered in fall camp hindered his performance in that it took him off the field and gave him less reps at receiver and corner. Hight was intentional about not using that concussion as a crutch, but admits that “reps are gold” and that he didn’t get as many of them as he could’ve.
As Hight walks on and off Vanderbilt’s turf practice field every day, that’s no longer an issue. He’s playing every day, and he’s almost never being taken away from his natural position. Richardson says Hight has put together his best fall camp to date on the back of an effort to improve his press coverage. And, if that’s true, Hight has the inside track to being Vanderbilt’s best cornerback.
“Most definitely,” Vanderbilt receiver Junior Sherrill told Vandy on SI in regard to the idea that Hight could take a significant leap as a result of only playing corner and returning punts. “He’s always up for the challenge. He’s a guy that’s always going to be up for the call. If you call his name, he’s always gonna make the play. I’ve been seeing how hard he’s been working, how much he really loves this stuff. So, it should be an amazing year.”
That all sounds fine and dandy, but Hight has a message to get out before he gets out of his five minute one-on-one interview on Vanderbilt’s grass practice field. He’s got one more thing he’s okay with getting off of his chest.
He knows he hasn’t been practicing much with Vanderbilt’s wide receivers, but he wants Lea–who told Vandy on SI that he’d be open to throwing Hight out there on offense in a package or two–to know that he’s always there if he needs him. He may not be pestering him to play receiver like he was a year ago, but he’ll be available.
“Whenever he calls my name,” Hight said, “I’ll be right there in his hip pocket.”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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