Feb. 3, 2012
James Franklin and the Vanderbilt coaching staff made a big splash on National Signing Day by securing a top 30 class in the nation and one of the best in school history.
It all went down in the Commodore War Room, the place to be Wednesday morning with national media and former players shuffling in to check out the feel-good story of the recruiting season. (Credit Franklin for never being shy to promote the program and giving access to an area most coaches would make off limits.)
One of the guests was Sports Illustrated college football columnist Andy Staples, who spent the day with all access credentials in the Commodore compound. Staples produced a fascinating piece on how the 21-recruit class formed over the last year and broke down four special story lines from the group. If you haven’t read the article or watched the interview, you’re in for a treat. (You’ll love the story about how Vanderbilt coaches went into Andrew Jelks’ “Big Orange” basement in Paris, Tenn., and snagged the four-star prospect to West End.)
The anchor of the feature– and most moving– was a text message that spread faster among fans than Franklin’s prized recruit runs the 40. Brian Kimbrow, a four-star speedster from Memphis who committed to Vanderbilt over six months ago before Franklin won his first game, sent his new coach a note of gratitude on the eve of signing day. The note resembled the same fierce loyalty displayed by Commodore faithful over the years, especially when supporting the team wasn’t the thing to do.
Kimbrow wrote:
What’s good, coaches? I know you all won’t be able to respond, but I’d like to say thanks for the opportunity and believing in me. There’s no other coaching staff that I could say I’d rather send my talents to than you. I know you will bring the best out of me not only as a football player but as a student and a person. I just want to say thanks, and I can’t wait to score a lot of touchdowns for you guys. I love you guys. You are all great. By the way, if you don’t get anyone else’s signature, you’ll have mine. Anchor down.
“It was an amazing text,” Franklin told reporters before reading the message aloud. “That’s the type of kid he is. That’s what we’re building this program around.”
I grabbed Franklin’s sound bite on Kimbrow from his 23-minute press conference Wednesday afternoon (just in case you missed it). Watch Video
Around the Web
If you can’t get enough of National Signing Day, check out these links from around the web on the Commodores’ newest class. And if you liked last year’s War Room video on VUcommodores, stay tuned– the 2012 version is coming soon.
Vanderbilt landed its best recruiting class (Andy Staples, SI.com)
Video: All Access with Franklin (Andy Staples, SI.com)
Vanderbilt strikes gold on signing day (Jeff Lockridge, The Tennessean)
Dores focus on offensive, defensive lines (Jerome Boettcher, The City Paper)
Video: Franklin on recruiting (Bruce Feldman, CBSSports.com)
Vanderbilt shines on signing day (Ron Higgins, Commercial Appeal)
Jelks will play at Vanderbilt (Paris Post-Intelligencer)
Harper dandy for Vandy (A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser)
Agee decides on Vanderbilt (Jason Galloway, Opelika News )
Thomas signs with Vanderbilt (Tallahassee Democrat)
Gouger makes commitment official (John Hunt, Chattanoogan.com)
McKenzie joins the Commodores (Justin Whitmore, Natchez Democrat)