Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt Lands 3-Star Commitment for 2026 Recruiting Class

Karaijus Hayes is the fourth player to commit to the Commodores and his commitment arrives days before the NCAA transfer portal chaos begins again.

Taylor Hodges

Booker safety Karaijus Hayes is tackled by a Braden River player after intercepting a pass during a game last season.
Booker safety Karaijus Hayes is tackled by a Braden River player after intercepting a pass during a game last season. / Mike Lang/Herald Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The spring window of the NCAA Transfer Portal is set to open Wednesday, which will bring plenty of good and bad news for teams, including Vanderbilt.

But the Commodores already got some good news for its 2026 recruiting class Sunday when three-star safety Karaijus Hayes committed to Vanderbilt. The Sarasota Booker star chose the Commodores over Georgia Tech, Michigan State and Miami.

Hayes is the in No. 76-rated safety in the 2026 cycle by On3 and No. 70 by 247Sports. He racked up 124 tackles and an interception in his 10-win junior season at Booker. Hays reportedly has an official visit to Nashville scheduled in May.

This if the fourth Vanderbilt commitment for its 2026 recruiting cycle, joining athlete Daniel Vollmer, quarterback Michael Mitchell and edge Joey Quinn. All four recruits are rated as three-star recruits. It’s a solid start for the Commodores, whose class ranks No. 48 overall by On3, No. 56 by 247Sports and No. 72 by ESPN (but that doesn’t include Hayes’ commitment).

Vanderbilt’s coaching staff will continue to work the recruiting trail, but will also have to contend with the waves of what transpires in the transfer portal. But don’t expect the Commodores be the one to cause any of those waves.

“We don't need to be real active right now,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said after Saturday’s spring game. “We need to focus on the progress we’ve made with the team we have. I'm very proud of the guys we’ve retained. I feel strongly about the team, and we don't want to lose the chemistry or the environment we've created. Less is more for us—maybe a couple of surgical additions.”

2025 Recruiting Class

S Karaijus Hayes, 6-foot, 170 lbs. – Sarasota, Florida (Committed 4/13/2025)
ATH Daniel Vollmer, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 02/05/2025)
QB Michael Mitchell, Jr., 5-foot-11, 185 lbs. - San Francisco, California (Committed 09/21/2024)
EDGE Joey Quinn, 6-foot-5, 260 lbs. - Chicago, Illinois (Committed 03/26/2025)

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

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