Commodores' Commit Kahden Smith is Confident in What Clark Lea is Building

Vanderbilt wide receiver commit Kahden Smith spoke on his relationship with the Commodores' coaching staff as well as his upcoming visit plans.

2026 Vanderbilt WR commit Kahden Smith during his official visit to Nashville | Credit @Kahdensmith_ on Instagram

Vanderbilt's 2026 recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent program history with 18 commitments just a over a month out from the early signing period. Since the start of October, the Commodores have made three new additions to the class and currently hold a top 50 group in the nation.

3-Star wide receiver Kahden Smith from Tuscaloosa, Alabama is one of the longest tenured members of the 2026 class, having made his commitment in May of this year. He spoke with Vanderbilt Commodores on SI about his recruitment process thus far as well as his upcoming visit plans.

1000% Committed ⚓️⬇️ @VandyFootball @Coach_Lea @CoachAlexBailey @HHSPatsFootball @RecruitTheCrest @raisingchamps_ @ChadSimmons_ @LemmingReport @HallTechSports1 @jamiemitchell85 @guy_3g pic.twitter.com/shKEbtnyDL

— Kahden Smith (@KahdenSmith) May 8, 2025

Since making his decision official, Smith says the staff has stayed in near constant contact. "Coach [Alex Bailey] has stayed in close contact with me since my commitment, and our relationship has continued to grow stronger."

He continued, "[Bailey] checks in with me regularly to make sure I know I'm a priority. He visited me at my game at Thompson High School, and I was excited to see him. It really shows how much they care, not just about me as a player, but as a person, too."

Smith has been excellent this season for Hillcrest High School, compiling an impressive 29 receptions for 691 yards and seven touchdowns across seven games.

Take a look at some of Vanderbilt WR commit Kahden Smith's (@KahdenSmith) top plays from Hillcrest's 34-26 win over Hoover

Smith finished with 7 rec for 148 yards@VandyOnSI pic.twitter.com/XrYfagSFBr

— Mason Woods (@mawoods_) September 10, 2025

He highlighted what's impressed him most with this year's Vanderbilt team, saying, "I think this year's team is showing a lot of growth. They're playing hard every week and continuing to build something special."

"I've been most impressed with how they compete and how the coaches keep the players motivated and focused through everything. You can see what Vanderbilt is building. Being ranked No. 10 is major," Smith said.

He also shared that he plans to make the trip to Nashville on October 25 for the Commodores' top 25 showdown with the fifteenth ranked Missouri Tigers. Smith's last trip to the Music City was in June of this year when he made his official visit.

He said of his time on campus, "My last visit to Nashville was great. It was special because I was able to share it with almost my entire family. What stuck out to me most was how genuine everyone was, from the coaching staff to the players."

He continued, "I love the energy around the program. I already feel really close with the staff and connected to the team because they knew more about me than I thought before I arrived and made it feel like home."