Vandy adds one of Memphis' best

There was always a place in Darrius Sims’ heart for Vanderbilt. His God-mother attended school there and ever since the Commodores started recruiting him, he’s been high on the school and the program. On Sunday, after putting together a strong showing at its camp, Sims went ahead and made a decision that had become clear and he committed to Vanderbilt.

“I’ve been wanting to go to Vanderbilt for a long time now but my dad and my mom wanted me to wait for a minute,” Sims said. “I waited and then when I got down here again, I kind of liked them all over again.

“What made the decision again was hanging around the coaching staff, hanging around the head coach James Franklin the coaches just made me feel like home.”

Sims is not new to the camp scene. He is seemingly a top performer at every camp he hits so it was no surprise to anyone in attendance that once again Sims was one of the top defensive backs in attendance. James Franklin saw enough to want Sims on his sideline.

“I actually went in with a camp mentality of seek and destroy and just do what I do,” said the Memphis (Tenn.) Whitehaven standout. “I guess Coach Franklin realy liked me so he said ‘I like you and I want you’. So I thought it was a good time and I went ahead and made the decision.”

At this point, Sims has built a strong relationship with the Vanderbilt staff and the other prospects but he also loves the distance from his hometown of Memphis. It’s not too far away but he’s still getting away from home.

“Vanderbilt, they’re real cool people,” he said. “I love the whole school and it’s in-state. I wanted to go far away from home but I didn’t want to get too fa. I feel like Vandy is the right place for that. It’s a good fit for me.”

As one of the top players in the city of Memphis, Sims’ addition continues a strong recruiting effort by the Commodores. He gives Vanderbilt its 13th commitment in the class of 2013 along with Sunday’s pledge from four-star Nigel Bowden. That group of 13 has built a strong foundation for the future of the program.

“I think Vandy is on the come up because guys in my class that are committed are very big time guys,” he said. “Maybe we can take it to the next level. With the guys that are committed now, the sky’s the limit.”