Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 28-9vs Austin Peay | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#4
Martel Hight
Senior cornerback for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 188 lb · Rome, GA · Rome
CFB Index 78 · #48 of 364 cornersLow confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
1
interception · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 1 PBU, 4 tackles, vs Delaware
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior cornerback for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Vanderbilt in 2023.
Martel Hight
Doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. This is his fourth year in the same secondary at Vanderbilt. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-SEC. The receipt: 3 tackles against Austin Peay — Week 1, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.
202311 games
- Signed with Vanderbilt4-star out of Rome
202513 games
- All-SEC
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Vanderbilt
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-SEC
All-SEC mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Vanderbilt
Played his entire career under Clark Lea.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vanderbilt | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 35 | 25 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Vanderbilt | 33 | 27 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | 38 | 25 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 115 | 82 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
Game log
Game by game
Martel Hight's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 35–31
vs NC State
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +2 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Clark Lea — 22-19 over that span.
2023Vanderbilt2-10HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Vanderbilt7-6HC: Clark Lea · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Vanderbilt10-3HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Vanderbilt3-0HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidenceSustained Ascent
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Pass share
48.4%
90 pass / 96 run
Plays / game
62.0
3 games
Team sack rate
2.1%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-SEC
Based on 2025: #5 of 22 SEC CBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Cover Corner
Steady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play.
CB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tyree Carlisle’s 2022 season.
Matches Tyree on
Weight
PD rate
Height
Differs from Tyree on
Tackle volume (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Coleman's junior season at Ball State (2024).
Matches Jordan on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Martel Hight
The secondary · Vanderbilt
- #8C.J. Heard71 tackles · 2025
- #7Ricardo Jones39 tackles · 2025
- #4Martel Hight35 tackles · 2025
- #1Dontae Carter33 tackles · 2025
- #6Jordan Matthews19 tackles · 2025
18 more on the roster · Vanderbilt team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology