Vanderbilt’s switch with Davin Chandler has already paid off in a hurry.
What began as a tweak on the defensive depth chart before the Oct. 3 game against then-No. 2 Georgia is now a full-time move: Chandler, who started the year and his freshman season at safety, is now listed on the official roster as a cornerback. For Clark Lea, the change became obvious once he saw Chandler handle the job in Athens.
“We were playing him at safety but gave him opportunities in man coverage and that’s how he became our nickel,” Lea said. “I think as we were unsure a little bit about how we were covering and how we were closing space at corner, we made a decision to try him out on the edge and I think he’s held up really well.”
The first real look came in the week of Georgia prep. Lea said Chandler showed the kind of instincts, athleticism and feel that can translate outside.
More than that, he showed the attitude Lea wants from a cornerback. Against a Georgia team in the thick of the SEC title race, Chandler looked like he belonged on the perimeter, struck well and held up in the fight.
Vanderbilt didn’t win that game, but it did come away with a new defensive piece.
Lea had actually heard about Chandler long before he ever suited up for the Commodores. Chandler played at Stephen Decatur for Jake Coleman, the father of Vanderbilt receiver Brycen Coleman, and during his recruitment Coleman made a strong case for him.
“Brycen’s dad was adamant that he not only could play for us, but that he would help us build the kind of culture we want. In their state championship run, he [Chandler] was a huge part in organizing the defense and communicating back there,” Lea said.
That pitch stuck. Chandler earned his way onto the roster, then made his college debut at safety in Vanderbilt’s 2025 win over Georgia State.
By fall camp, he was around the ball constantly and had become one of the more active depth pieces in practice. With veterans ahead of him in the safety room, he settled in at No. 4 there before the staff made the move to cornerback.
Since the switch, Chandler has climbed quickly. He now sits just behind Martel Hight for one of the starting jobs at corner, and his production has backed it up.
In three games at the position, he has 13 total tackles, including 10 solo stops. Against Arkansas, he posted a career-high nine tackles, with six solo and three assisted, and tied safety CJ Heard and linebacker Nick Rinaldi for the team high in tackles that game.
There are still five games left in the regular season, and Chandler’s role is only getting more important if he keeps trending the way he has. Lea made it clear the staff likes what it has seen.
“Really pleased with how he’s progressed and the role he’s carved out for himself. Independent of just a little nick yesterday, I’m hoping that he can continue us in and we get some critical snaps out of him as the season goes on,” Lea said.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Heads To Kentucky With Injury Questions It Cant Ignore
Vanderbilt heads into its fifth SEC game with the injury report already shaping the conversation around Saturdays trip to No. 12 Kentucky. The Commodores have been dealing with a growing list of absences, including season-ending injuries to Gunner Givens and Aaron Bryant, and the availability chart around the roster has become a weekly subplot as the conference grind wears on.
Brian Allen Jr. is also on the injured list, leaving another hole for a team that can ill afford to be thin in a matchup like this. Beyond the confirmed losses, Vanderbilt is still sorting through several players whose status is less certain, with a few names hovering in the questionable, probable and doubtful range as kickoff gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Curtis Is Carrying A Big Vanderbilt Question Into This Weekend
Jared Curtis is only a freshman, but Vanderbilt is already watching him grow into more than just a highly touted quarterback prospect. The five-star has started to settle into a leadership role in the huddle even with limited college experience, and head coach Clark Lea has seen veteran players respond to the way Curtis carries himself around the program. For a team still searching for steadier results overall, that kind of progress matters as much as anything happening on Saturdays.
What makes the next stretch interesting is how much the Commodores are willing to shape around him. Curtis brings a different skill set, and Vanderbilts staff has been adjusting the offense with that in mind as the post-Diego Pavia era takes hold. If Curtis keeps building trust while the system continues to evolve, the Commodores may have a young quarterback whose development can start to change the feel of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Still Has To Live With One Huge Quarterback Decision
Clark Leas recent comments on quarterback Kenny Minchey brought an old recruiting fork in the road back into view for Vanderbilt, and it is one the Commodores have no choice but to live with now. Minchey, a Nashville native who left Notre Dame for Kentucky, was once part of the discussion in Nashville before Vanderbilt moved on, and Lea made clear he still holds respect for the player and the person as the two programs head into another meeting.
For Vanderbilt, the bigger picture is tied to the quarterback path it chose instead. Leas confidence in Jared Curtis remains the programs long-term answer at the position, which is why the Minchey storyline matters less as a regret than as a reminder of how quickly these decisions can shape a rosters future. Saturday offers another chance for the Commodores to see a familiar local name on the other sideline, even if the more important question in Nashville is still whether Curtis can eventually steady the job for good. [Read more 🡒]