Vanderbilt signs Elijah McAllister

Two ACL tears didn't stop Elijah McAllister from making it to college. The Rumson (N.J.) Fair Haven star had a rough road to this point but now he is ready to continue his football career at Vanderbilt.

McAllister, a three-star prospect, was recruited to Vanderbilt at a defensive end/linebacker hybrid and the Commodores were the only school to receive an official visit from him.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

"Pretty much everything stood out to me," McAllister told VandySports.com after his official visit. "Obviously, me being there on their first official visit weekend was big and it shows they really want me. Being there with all the other commits was also big. I got to talk to them and see the reasons they chose Vanderbilt so that was a good reason to be there this weekend.

"That conversation (with head coach Derek Mason) was another thing I really liked," he said. "He's not like most head coaches. Most head coaches think they are above everyone. He's really down to earth. He's a chill dude and he'll talk to you like normal. We had a great talk. He's not pressuring me to make any decisions anytime soon. He just talked about what Vanderbilt can do for me and what I can do for Vanderbilt."

RIVALS' REACTION...

In McAllister, Vanderbilt is getting a prospect with a very high ceiling. He is a big athlete with lots of room to add weight and a very intelligent football player that shouldn't have trouble adjusting to the new system. McAllister will need to develop more physically before seeing substantial playing time.