METAIRIE, La. — Donovan Kaufman quietly committed to Vanderbilt back in June, doing so despite high levels of interest in Colorado and Tulane.

At the time, it seemed as if the talented safety had put a pin in his recruitment.

He was wrong. After a stellar senior campaign and an MVP performance in the Division I state championship, college football’s heavyweights like Florida State, Baylor and Ole Miss extended offers to Kaufman in hopes of flipping him away from Vanderbilt. While the Rebels certainly came close, Kaufman was too invested in his future in Nashville to change his mind.

“In the end, Vandy felt like home,” Kaufman told Rivals on Wednesday. “I went through the whole process and toured other schools to see how it was. Vandy, at the end of the day, I felt like home there.”

The Rivals250 defensive back pieced together an impactful senior campaign that allowed his recruitment to take off into new heights around December. By then, he was still committed to the Commodores and was receiving interest from both Tennessee and LSU.

Kaufman made visits back to Vandy, to Florida State, Ole Miss and Baylor right before National Signing Day last weekend, but settled on sticking to his pledge by Tuesday evening.

“When you think about it, it’s hard to see a better off,” he explained. “Academics and to play in the SEC — that’s the best offer you can have.”

Ole Miss, and in particular new safeties coach Chris Partidge, was the biggest threat down the stretch. Kaufman admitted that if he wasn’t going to sign with Vandy on Wednesday, the choice would have been Ole Miss.

The difference: relationships.

“To be honest, if I didn’t go to Vandy I’d go to Ole Miss,” Kaufman said. “The star position is new over there and it’s the right fit for me and I could have seen myself playing there, but Vandy, I saw it better. I prayed on it and I’m happy with the decision. I made the best decision.

“(I’m close with) all of them. Even when they offered me, I talked to all the coaches, not just one coach. I had relationships with all of them. Seeing Coach Partridge or Coach (Mike) Norvell … at Vandy, it was everyone, and when I was up there I was comfortable with all of them.”

Kaufman reports to Nashville in the summer. He offered up this when asked about what to expect about the future of Vanderbilt football.

“For one, I’m coming to win the SEC East. I’m hopeful we can get a natty, too. I’m not coming there to lose. They’re doing something special up there, so we’re gonna see.”