What Martel Hight’s Role Will Look Like on Both Sides of the Ball

Vanderbilt starting cornerback Martel Hight decided to play as a wide receiver this season in addition to his defensive role.

Oct 26, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores cornerback Martel Hight (25) tackles Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm (85) after a made catch during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

One of the biggest headlines coming out of Vanderbilt’s roster this offseason has been Martel Hight. The Commodores’ top cornerback is trying to do what 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter did a year ago: play wide receiver in addition to being the leading corner on the roster.

As Vanderbilt’s first game of the season against Charleston Southern looms just three days away, the fans are wondering what Hight’s split between offense and defense will look like as the season goes on. In Tuesday’s press conference, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea shed some light as to how the coaching staff will approach Hight’s role on both sides of the ball.

“We’re going to start him as a corner. We want to be smart with how we use them. His role on offense will be a little more play-to-play. Defensively he’ll be out there first, second and third down,” Lea said.

Lea also mentioned Hight will have the ability to play on the opening possession offensively and defensively. While Hight’s primary role will be on the defensive end, there will also come a time as the season goes on that Hight will see more action on offense.

“There will come a point in time where we will take that approach on offense, too. And there’s going to come a point in time where he plays defense, then catches a punt and is back out on the field with the offense,” Lea said.

Hight’s ability to transform into an offensive weapon in addition to his defensive skillset could open a new door for Vanderbilt’s offense. With a guy like Hight who has the ability and confidence to play the position, offensive coordinator Tim Beck will more than likely draw up plenty of plays for Hight in the offense that could help take the offense to a new height.

How similar will Hight’s role be to what Hunter did in two seasons at Colorado? It seems it will be on a smaller scale. Hunter had an average snap count of 105 per game in his two seasons in Boulder. Again, what Hunter did was quite unique in college as he was a regular contributor both on offense and defense. With Hight missing time during fall camp, it seems that Lea and the coaching staff will be experimenting Saturday night in terms of how far they will go with Hight on offense.

“We want to get a feel in this game how he handles that back and forth and what’s the extent we can push. We haven’t had the chance to do that in practice yet, so we’ll play that by ear,” Lea said. “But he’s prepared himself. We’ll have a snap count on him in terms of making sure we don’t over exert. When it comes down to those critical snaps, we’ll make sure he’s available to play corner.”

Regardless of what Hight’s role on offense turns out to be, Vanderbilt knows that it has a guy that is ready and willing to step into any critical situation at any given moment in a game and gives opponents an added factor to think about when preparing for the Commodores.