NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt football capped National Signing Day on Wednesday by signing 19 new student-athletes to scholarship papers. The Commodores’ class features incoming student-athletes from nine different states that fill 11 different positions across the roster. Vanderbilt’s latest signing class lands among the nation’s top 50 classes, per recruiting services Rivals and 247Sports.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dores’ head coach Derek Mason reflected on his latest class of signees in a press conference with local media. Here’s what Mason had to say:
• Mason on his overall impression of the class: “This class, the class of ’19, boasts strong, long, athletic talent … It’s a class that, for us, filled a lot of needs and made us better. The Commodores got better today.”
• On cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams: “He went to Wisconsin and played in a lot of ballgames, a fair amount for his first two years there… When you look at his abilities, he’s got great short-area quickness. He’s dynamic in terms of his ability to cover. It;s exactly what’s needed in the SEC.”
• On Nashville-area offensive tackle Donald Fitzgerald: “What we’re able to do is develop talent. When you look at 6-8, 280 [pounds], I’ll take that all day long.”
• Mason said Madison, Ala. quarterback Jamil Muhammad is a dual-threat passer who can cause problems for any defense “In this conference where you have extreme pass rushers, guys up front or second-level backers who can pass-rush, you’ve got to be able to extend plays.”
• On Madison, Ala. nose guard Daevion Davis, a 6-2, 310-pound signee: “Beast. One thing about Daevion, man, his motor runs high.”
• On Vanderbilt being an attractive landing spot for transfers: “The only way you get better is by playing the game. At Vanderbilt, we’ll give you an opportunity to compete. These guys know and understand they can come impact a roster and lead us to where we want to go.”
• On signing five players from the state of Tennessee, including three from Nashville-area schools like Fitzgerald and Brentwood Academy’s Nate Clifton: “I love our in-state kids. Our in-state kids are going to continue to pepper our roster over the next couple of years.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
