"I Don't Know How He Does It." Inside Martel Hight's Transition to Wide Receiver

Atlanta–Martel Hight was outside on the field at Vanderbilt’s outdoor practice facility going through his cornerback drills when Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia threw him the ball while Vanderbilt senior offensive advisor Jerry Kill looked on.

Hight caught Pavia’s throw and just like that, Kill was convinced.

“Son,” Kill said. “You could play receiver.”

“Then call the shot for me,” Hight replied. “I’m happy to do that.”

The possibility of Hight ultimately making the move to receiver was often a joke thrown around by the Vanderbilt staff like ‘oh, what do you think about this guy playing receiver?’ to which Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea would respond “He’s our starting corner.”

As Vanderbilt accumulated depth at cornerback and saw Hight showcase his speed on special teams–where he was selected as an All-SEC punt returner–Lea started to consider the idea that playing Hight in all three phases could become a reality that benefits his team.

Whether Lea wanted to hear it or not, Kill, wide receivers coach Alex Bailey and offensive coordinator told him all about the potential benefits of playing Hight on their side of the ball.

“They know how to start the conversation,” Lea joked. “Like ‘maybe just a couple of throws.’”

As evidenced by Hight receiving questions nearly solely about his role at wide receiver as he bounced session to session at SEC Media Days, Vanderbilt’s coaching staff is no longer considering ‘just a couple throws’ a game offensively for Hight. He’ll be out there often on both sides of the ball.

Hight is already an All-SEC returner and Vanderbilt’s best corner, but Lea says Hight is working “primarily on offense” this summer and is aiming to be a significant factor on offense. The Vanderbilt junior played receiver in high school and caught 37 passes for 548 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in his senior year before fully transitioning to cornerback.

If anyone thought the idea that Hight will play wide receiver in 2025 was a publicity stunt or a gimmick used to get Lea’s program in the headlines, their mind should have been changed with Lea and Hight’s remarks at Monday’s SEC Media Day appearance.

Lea has alluded to it, but he’s never said it this plainly. Hight won’t just be playing receiver, he’ll be doing it all.

“I believe that he’ll do that every time we play,” Lea said to a group of local media members when asked if Hight will play in all three phases. “There’s maybe situations where we have an injury on one side or the other where we need to narrow his focus because we can’t afford him to play offense because we’ve been depleted at corner or we need receivers because we’re depleted there. Depth allows you to be strategic.”

Vanderbilt believes it has enough of that nowadays with the additions of Tennessee transfer Jordan Matthews, FCS transfers Mark Davis and Marlon Jones as well as returning corners Jaylin Lackey and Kolbey Taylor to play man coverage at times, but also to take some pressure off of Hight. At the very least, it was enough to experiment.

Perhaps when Hight ran around Vanderbilt’s spring practices in a red jersey and toyed with the idea that he could play receiver the level of contribution that he could provide as a receiver wasn’t all that clear. It is to his teammates now, though.

“He’s fast and he knows how to create separation,” Vanderbilt STAR Randon Fontenette said. “That kid, he’s a robot. I don’t know how he [plays both ways], just seeing him grow from last year when he was just strictly playing corner to him playing receiver, it shows his growth as a man and a player.”

As Hight walked around SEC Media Day, he looked the part of a playmaker. He had the matching suit and pants. He had the chain with his new jersey number–which he says is an ode to his childhood memories at age four–inscribed on it. He looked like a star.

In some ways, only a star could successfully do what Hight is setting out to do. Even with high school experience, the workload of playing multiple positions at a high volume is a lot on a body. That’s why Kill contacted Colorado coach Deion Sanders to learn about his approach to managing former star two-way player Travis Hunter.

Hight knows the noise that comes with managing a workload–and a comparison to a star–like that, but he says he’s not worried about his ability to handle the workload.

“I’m very confident,” Hight told Vandy on SI. “Coach Lea has a plan for me and people also say that [the workload is too heavy], but they don’t take care of their bodies. I take care of my body. I’m in the training room almost every day. Hydrating and consumption is key.”

Hight’s track-like speed and ability to make guys miss on punt returns–which he considers “a game of tag”--is apparent, but that alone won’t make him a great receiver. As much as it has to be about the little things in the training room, it’s got to be about the fundamentals on the field.

Vanderbilt’s three-way piece has a head start on those as a result of his career as a high school wide receiver, but the 2025 summer is his first learning from a college wide receivers coach. Hight has gotten some specific feedback from Bailey and his practice reps.

“Just knowing when to break off routes on DBs because they’re gonna be up close on you,” Hight said when asked what part of his offensive game he’s aiming to improve. “People in this league are really talented and athletic, so just being able to do little small things or get away from those people.”

As Hight walked around the Omni and College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and took a break from heading out to the practice field at the McGugin Center each day, he finally had a chance to reflect on how rapid his improvement has been at receiver.

Who knows if it’s enough to make a significant impact on winning, but Hight says that “yeah,” he’s improved rapidly at wide receiver over the last few months.

Time to see if it’s enough to help Vanderbilt when it matters.