Twitter: @Khari2Smoove | @calfootball
Instagram: Khari2Smoove cal_football
Pronunciation
kuh-HAR-ee rhymes with safari
Vanderbilt played in 23 of 25 possible games with 12 starts in his two seasons at Cal as a 2015 junior and 2016 senior after transferring from San Jose City College. Vanderbilt contributed two-season career totals of 99 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-16 yards), 0.5 sacks (-3 yards), one interception that he returned for 20 yards, one forced fumble and four pass breakups. Vanderbilt started all 12 games as a senior and posted career highs in every category, ranking second on the team with 82 tackles as well as tied for second with four pass breakups and one interception that he returned 20 yards while adding 4.0 tackles for loss (-14 yards), 0.5 sacks (-3 yards) and one forced fumble. Vanderbilt began his career at Cal in 2015 after capping a strong junior college career as a 2014 sophomore when he earned first-team Region II All-State honors and the second of back-to-back first-team All-Coast Conference selections for a defensive unit that ranked second in the state in interception returns, fourth in interception return average and 12th in interceptions with 17 picks that his team returned 487 yards for an average of 28.6 yards per interception return.
After Cal
• Participated at Cal’s 2017 Pro Day and had notable numbers in the broad jump (10’6”) and vertical jump (37”)
Cal Career (2015-16)
• Played in 23 of 25 possible games with 12 starts during his two campaigns with the program as a 2015 junior and 2016 senior
• Registered two-season career totals of 99 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-16 yards), 0.5 sacks (-3 yards), one interception that he returned for 20 yards, one forced fumble and four pass breakups
• Registered career-high numbers in nearly every category as a senior when he started all 12 games and recorded a career-high 82 tackles to rank second on the team as well as four pass breakups and one interception that he returned 20 yards to tie for second while adding 4.0 tackles for loss (-14 yards), 0.5 sacks (-3 yards) and one forced fumble
• Had a career-high 11 tackles and the lone 0.5 sacks (-3 yards) of his Cal career as a senior vs. Texas
• Registered a career-high-tying 1.0 tackles for loss on four occasions and 1.0 sack four times with his biggest tackle for loss yardage total coming vs. Utah as a senior while the last time he recorded 1.0 tackle at Stanford also in his senior campaign
• Had the lone forced fumble of his career vs. Hawai'i in the College Football Sydney Cup, the only interception of his career that he ran back 20 yards at Washington State and a career-high three pass breakups vs. Oregon all as a senior
• Changed his uniform to No. 7 for his 2016 senior season after wearing No. 29 in his first season with the Cal program in 2015 as well as during 2016 spring practices
Senior (2016)
• Started all 12 games and posted career highs in every category, ranking second on the team with 82 tackles as well as tied for second with four pass breakups and one interception that he returned 20 yards while adding 4.0 tackles for loss (-14 yards), 0.5 sacks (-3 yards) and one forced fumble
• Recorded a career-high 11 tackles, a career-high-tying 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) and the lone 0.5 sacks (-3 yards) of his Cal career vs. Texas
• His other double-digit tackle contest came with 10 at Washington State when he also had his only pick at Cal that he returned 20 yards as well as a career-high-tying 1.0 tackle for loss (-4 yards) and one pass breakup
• Had at least five tackles in 10 of 12 contests, also picking up five or more vs. Stanford (9), vs. Utah (8), vs. Hawai'i (7), at Oregon State (7), at USC (7), vs. Washington (7), at Arizona State (6) and at San Diego State (5)
• Added three tackles and a career-high three pass breakups vs. Oregon as well as two stops in the final collegiate contest of his career against UCLA
• Also had a career-high-tying 1.0 tackles for loss vs. Utah (career-high -6 yards) and Stanford (1 yard)
• Lone career forced fumble came in the season opener vs. Hawai'i
• Had one tackle for the winning Blue squad in the spring game
Junior (2015)
• Played in 11 games off the bench as a backup safety and on special teams in his first season at Cal as a 2015 junior after transferring from San Jose City College and contributed 17 tackles as well as 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards)
• Recorded a season-high four tackles in his Cal debut in the season-opener vs. Grambling State and at Stanford, adding his only stop in the backfield against Grambling State with 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards)
• Also had three tackles at Texas, two vs. San Diego State and in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Air Force, and one each vs. Washington State and Oregon State
San Jose City College (2013-14)
• Earned first-team Region II All-State honors as a 2014 sophomore, while he was a two-time first-team All-Coast Conference choice
• One of the team's top defensive players as a sophomore for a defensive unit that ranked second in the state in interception returns, fourth in interception return average and 12th in interceptions with 17 interceptions that were returned for 487 yards and an average of 28.6 yards per interception return
• Shared the team lead with three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a sophomore, while ranking second in interception return yards (93) and tackles (82), tied for second in pass breakups (4), while adding 2.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards)
• Recorded 39 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard), one forced fumble, one interception and three pass breakups as a 2013 freshman
• Registered both of his forced fumbles and fumble recoveries in the season opener of his sophomore campaign at West Hills Coalinga and then had interceptions in each of the next three contests vs. Reedley (career-long 55-yard return), at Monterey (38-yard return) and vs. Los Medanos
• Had a career-high 17 tackles as a sophomore vs. Los Medanos
• Recorded a career-high two pass breakups as a sophomore vs. Cabrillo
• Picked up a career-high tying 1.0 tackle for a loss as a sophomore vs. Reedley (career-high -5 yards) and at Contra Costa (-1 yard), and as a freshman vs. Gavilan (-1 yard)
• Wore No. 6
Independence HS (Class of 2013)
• Spent much of his 2012 senior season for a team that reached the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs injured but had a huge performance in the Literacy All-Star Game after his senior season when he led his North squad to a 42-7 victory by finishing with 15 tackles and two pass breakups
• Also played in the Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game after his senior campaign and contributed six tackles and one interception
• Finished with 14 tackles and one pass breakup in two games played as a senior due to injury, while adding four receptions for 111 yards receiving and two touchdown catches as well as four rushes for 12 yards on offense, and two kickoff returns for 34 yards as well as one rushing two-point conversion and one punt for 16 yards on special teams
• Registered 54 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, eight passes defended and three quarterback hurries on defense as a 2011 junior, while adding 21 receptions for 415 yards receiving and seven touchdown catches that all came in his last five contests as well as 10 rushes for 86 yards on offense, and four kickoff returns for 52 yards on special teams
• Had career highs of five receptions and 163 yards receiving as well as a career-high-tying two touchdown catches and a career-high four passes defended as a junior vs. Piedmont Hills, while he equaled the two scoring grabs the previous game against Willow Glenn
• Had a career-long 60-yard reception vs. Leland as a junior
• Registered a career-high-tying nine tackles twice against Heritage and Live Oak with his career-high two quarterback hurries vs. Santa Teresa as the lone fumble recovery and tackle for loss of his career
• Wore No. 10 as a senior and No. 6 as a junior
Recruiting Notes (Junior College Class of 2015)
Stars: 247Sports (3), 247Sports Composite (3), Rivals (3), Scout (3)
National Overall Player Ratings: Scout (55), Rivals (88), 247Sports (110), 247Sports Composite (113)
National Safety Ratings: 247Sports (11), 247Sports Composite (12), Scout (91)
California Overall Player Ratings: 247Sports (31), Rivals (72)
Ratings/Scout Grades: 247Sports (84), 247Sports Composite (0.8356), Rivals (5.5)
• Ranked No. 62 on Rivals’ preseason JUCO100 list heading into his sophomore campaign
Other
• Full name is Khari Vanderbilt
• Born June 3, 1995
• Mother is Ayanna Vanderbilt
• Ran a 4.50 40-yard dash according to Hudl and Scout
• Major is sociology
Vanderbilt's Cal Career Single-Game Highs
Tackles: 11 (vs. Texas, 2016)
Tackles For Loss: 1.0 (four times, last vs. Stanford, 2016)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 6 (vs. Utah, 2016)
Sacks: 0.5 (vs. Texas, 2016)
Sack Yards: 3 (vs. Texas, 2016)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (vs. Hawai'i, 2016)
Interceptions: 1 (at Washington State, 2016)
Interception Return Yards: 20 (at Washington State, 2016)
Long Interception Return: 20 (at Washington State, 2016)
Pass Breakups: 3 (vs. Oregon, 2016)
Last Updated
April 18, 2017
