Vanderbilt trending to flip 4-star prospect committed elsewhere in the SEC

Vanderbilt shocked the college football world on Saturday by taking down No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in Nashville.

Head coach Clark Lea and his staff will look to use the biggest win in program history to their advantage on the recruiting trail. Multiple important prospects were in attendance for the incredible upset, including former linebacker commit Austin Howard.

The Memphis Bartlett prospect flipped from the Commodores to Mississippi State on June 23, but has kept the in-state program warm throughout the summer and fall. On Sunday, On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) in favor of Vandy flipping Howard back from the Bulldogs.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is a three-star prospect and the No. 538 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3 ranks Howard much higher than other recruiting services, however. He checks in as a four-star, the No. 31 LB and No. 10 player in Tennessee in the 2025 On300.

When speaking with Maroon and White’s Paul Jones last month, Howard also mentioned Ole Miss and Tennessee as other potential suitors for his commitment, though he labeled his pledge with the Bulldogs as “solid.”

“It’s the people, the environment, the work ethic,” Johnson said of Miss State. “It is not a team, it is a family down there. All of the players are together and they are all with each other. It was just a vibe and that’s why I committed.”

Vandy still looking to flesh out 2025 recruiting class

To no surprise, recruiting at the high school level has once again not been easy for Lea and Co. this cycle. As of Oct. 6, Vandy’s class features just nine commits and ranks No. 83 in the nation and last in the SEC, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Howard’s return to the class would be a much-welcomed addition. Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie four-star safety Carson Lawrence is the lone blue-chipper in the mix with the Early Signing Period now less than two months away.

Tallahassee three-star Josiah Broxton is the lone LB in the class — which also features a pair of EDGE commits in Atlanta three-star Zion Lawson and Vancouver (Canada) three-star George Okorie.

Wiltfong caught up with multiple recruits who were in attendance at FirstBank Stadium for the Alabama victory, including another pair of defensive prospects committed elsewhere in the conference. Reactions from the shocking upset can be found here.