2026 safety Karaijus Hayes decommits from Vanderbilt

Sarasota (Fla.) Booker three-star safety Karaijus Hayes has decommitted from Vanderbilt, he told Rivals on Wednesday.

Hayes had been committed to the Commodores since April, when he chose them over Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Miami and others. He becomes only the second player this cycle to decommit from ‘Dores, joining four-star cornerback Caden Harris. The latter flipped his pledge from Vandy to Georgia in June after an official visit to Athens.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Hayes is the No. 1052 overall prospect and No. 97 safety in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 114 player in Florida.

As a junior, Hayes racked up 124 total tackles and an interception, per MaxPreps. Through three games as a senior, he has totaled 12 tackles and three tackles for loss.

Commodores still recruiting at a high level

Even with the loss of Hayes, Vanderbilt still has one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory. After finishing with the No. 72 class in last year’s Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, the ‘Dores have made nearly a 30-spot leap this cycle.

In 2025, they signed just 13 prospects as Clark Lea and his staff dipped heavily into the transfer portal. They likely will again this offseason, but boast 19 total commitments already.

The group is headlined by Rivals four-star running back Evan Hampton out of Owensboro (Ky.). A one-time Louisville pledge, he flipped his commitment in July to the Commodores.

“It felt like home and the right fit for me as a human being,” Hampton told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong when he committed. “I felt the culture consume me and I felt like I ultimately belonged in that program with Coach Lea and the rest of the staff.”

As a junior Hampton averaged nearly 10 yards per carry, rushing for 1,609 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns. He is the only blue-chip commitment in the class, but Vandy has amassed a wealth of high-upside three-star prospects with 10 of their pledges ranking among the top 800 prospects nationally.