Although the signing period just began, recruitment for the VandyBoys’ Class of 2025 has been underway for several years. The initial signing day for the Class of 2025 was on Nov. 13. This date marked the earliest date a player can sign an NCAA Financial Aid Agreement, formerly known as the National Letter of Intent (NLI). Recruits have until Aug. 1, 2025, to sign the agreement.
Vanderbilt’s recruiting team underwent a complete overhaul last offseason after firing its recruitment coordinators Mike Baxter and Tyler Shewmaker. The VandyBoys recruiting duties were overtaken by assistant coaches Jayson King and Ty Blankmeyer, as well as director of recruiting John Michael Morris.
This transition indicated a new era for Vanderbilt recruitment but placed the Class of 2025 in a challenging position. The first indication of this occurred in October when Vanderbilt’s second highest-rated commit, Billy Carlson, flipped to the University of Tennessee. Carlson is the fifth-ranked player in the country by Perfect Game and is viewed as a potential two-way superstar. Losing a player of his caliber — to archrival Tennessee no less — was a major disappointment for Vanderbilt fans. Carlson highlighted a group of several Vanderbilt decommits, including Dean Moss, Minjae Seo and Luke Roupe, who each flipped to other SEC schools. Moreover, a handful of players announced that Vanderbilt rescinded their offers, such as Brendan Horne and Grant McCubrey, who were lower-level recruits in Vanderbilt’s class.
Vanderbilt’s new recruitment team wasted no time in altering the landscape of its 2025 class.
Although many players were lost, Vanderbilt retained the majority of its commits, headlined by the No. 3 player in the country, Seth Hernandez. Hernandez was recruited by Baxter in 2022 but decided to stick it out with Vanderbilt’s new staff. However, many believe that Hernandez’s commitment is simply a placeholder for his eventual jump to MLB after the upcoming draft. He is MLB.com’s second-ranked player and is almost guaranteed to receive a compelling offer to go straight to the pros. Nonetheless, his commitment to Vanderbilt indicates that the VandyBoys can still land top recruits.
Vanderbilt’s second highest-rated commit is Sean Gamble, a shortstop/outfielder out of IMG Academy. Gamble is considered one of the fastest players in the country — posting a 6.42 60-yard dash — while displaying immense upside offensively. The IMG outfielder is joined by Slater de Brun, another lightning-quick athlete — 6.39 sixty-yard dash — who also possesses advanced raw power at the plate. In total, Hernandez, Gamble and de Brun represent a three-headed monster atop Vanderbilt’s Class of 2025. They were each All-Americans last season and are among the top 11 players in the country, according to Perfect Game. Time will tell if the Commodores can retain them past the 2025 MLB Draft, but regardless of this result their commitments represent an influx of talent reminiscent of the glory days of Vanderbilt Baseball.
One of the most interesting aspects of Vanderbilt’s recruiting class is its size — only 14 commits. The VandyBoys typically finish with larger classes — they had 18 in the Class of 2024 — but this shortcoming is to be expected, considering the number of flips and offers rescinded over the summer. Nonetheless, the impact of this small group is reflected in Vanderbilt’s national rank of No. 9 in the Class of 2025 recruiting rankings.
The Commodores’ only other top-100 commit is Cooper Flemming, a two-way player from Aliso Viejo, California, who possesses a sturdy 6’3 frame and reputable raw power. Beyond Flemming, the next highest recruit falls at No. 151 in right-handed pitcher Connor Hamilton, a Nashville native who has exhibited great potential — topping out at 96 miles per hour — but must improve his secondary pitches to start games for the VandyBoys. Overall, depth, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, is a glaring weakness in the Commodores’ recruiting class.
The rest of the recruiting class is rounded out by six pitchers and three position players, all of whom rank outside Perfect Game’s top 200. Among this list are several intriguing arms, such as RHP Adria Casoliba and RHP Wyatt Nadeau. Both players present good size — 6’3 and 6’6, respectively — and velocity into the mid-90s. Size and velocity have become top priorities for pitching development labs across the country, as they provide a good foundation for player growth.
Vanderbilt’s staff will likely work to optimize the recruits’ extension and elevate their velocity into the upper 90s, which could make them high-leverage relievers in the future. Another pitcher who presents an intriguing skillset is RHP Nate Schlote. The Fairway, Kansas, native possesses similar size and velocity to the previous pitchers — 6’3 and 94 miles per hour — but is also reported to exhibit high spin rates. High-90s velocity with good spin is traditionally a recipe for success, so time will tell if Vanderbilt’s coaching staff can help Schlote reach his potential.
Following an underwhelming recruitment class in 2024, where Vanderbilt’s top commits were ranked No. 66, 75 and 90, the Class of 2025 represents a clear step up. Although most of Vanderbilt’s commits were recruited by coaches no longer with the program, head coach Tim Corbin’s decision to transition to a new staff indicates confidence in Vanderbilt’s ability to recruit moving forward.
Although Vanderbilt is far removed from its super teams during the 2010s, this year’s recruiting class acts as a step in the right direction.
