HOOVER, Ala. -- It’s hard enough to recruit in the hyper-competitive SEC, but throw in the high academic standards at Vanderbilt and the coaching staff in Nashville has its fair share of hurdles. While speaking at SEC Media Days on Monday, Commodores' head coach Derek Mason said he’s learned plenty and continues to evolve his approach.

The Commodores took a bit of a public perception hit back in the spring when they had zero commitments in the 2017 class while other SEC schools were adding top-notch players. But according to Mason, he was waiting to evaluate players in person before deciding which commitments to accept.

“For me, I have to see with my own eyes exactly where we are,” Mason said. “The film lies. Anybody can put together a highlight tape. I need to see the young man work. Our evaluation process, as well as our recruiting team, has changed. We have done a really good job in the last couple of months of being able to identify guys that fit. That's why, for us, it's a process of learning who you are, identifying the characteristics that you need per position -- offense, defense, special teams. And that's exactly what we've been able to do.”

Over the past few years the Commodores have produced several NFL draft picks, something Mason said proves that the right talent can thrive at the school.

“When I look at guys that have come through Vanderbilt, I look at Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Zach Cunningham,” Mason said. “Those guys weren't guys who were highly recruited, but they're good football players. So you have to find what fits in your arena.”

Since the initial drought of commitments, Vanderbilt has been on a roll, adding verbal pledges from 10 players in the last month. None of the players are ranked higher than three stars, but that's something Mason said is of little consequence to him.

“I'm not worried about the stars,” he said. “I'm worried about the functionality of what these players can do in terms what they bring to the table in terms of being able to handle the mental aspect of what it is in the classroom and on the football field.”

Vanderbilt is currently ranked No. 59 in the Rivals.com Team Rankings.

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