Vanderbilt looking for a Prince in the Queen City?

It appears as though the Vanderbilt football program is really hitting the Charlotte, North Carolina area this recruiting period. A area that generally has anywhere from 15-20 D1 level talents, it's been hard for the Commodores to get into the area over the years, having to contend with local programs like UNC, Duke, Wake Forest or even the likes of Georgia and Clemson.

However, a few years ago, Vanderbilt did secure a signature from one of Charlotte's most underrated prospects, Austin Monahan and a few years later, he has proved to be a strong signee. The staff also pulled in Bo Cramer as a invited walk-on, and though the former defensive tackles career was cut short by injury, the familiarity to the area that of both Monahan and Cramer have created, shouldn't be ignored.

This year, the staff has been hot on the trails of Charlotte Christian linebacker Ty Linton and his teammate Kelby Brown. The staff has also been linked to the likes of Vance athlete Dechance Durante, tight end Braxton Deaver and running back Nigel Johnson.

But now, the Commodores appear to also be turning their attention to possibly the areas top prospect in Ardrey Kell High defensive end/outside linebacker Prince Shembo. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder has already garnered offers from the likes of NC State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Illinois, Wake Forest, Duke, Stanford, West Virginia and others but is still awaiting his first SEC offer. Recently, VU coaches paid a visit to Kell as did others like Tennessee and LSU.

Shembo's a real versatile defender with a great motor and explosion. He would seem to be a perfect 3-4 linebacker, but he could play with his hand down in a 4-3 or "46" defense. He has the look of a future four-star prospect and really values his education. Should VU offer, things could get interesting.

As a junior, Shembo racked up 86 tackles and nine sacks. He also picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles.

Whether or not VU offers Shembo and secures his signature, or the staff lands a playmaker like Linton or perhaps his teammate Brown, it does appear that Charlotte is going to be a regular area for the Commodores moving forward.

One thing VU does have going for them is that linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator Warren Belin, is the chief recruiter for VU in the Charlotte area, so soon, the staff is bound to land a standout from the area.