Nick Rinaldi holds the MLB · Starter spot in Vanderbilt Commodores’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Nick Rinaldi is a 6'3", 240-pound linebacker for the Vanderbilt Commodores from Dover, Massachusetts. He did not play high school football until his senior year at Dover-Sherborn, where he earned Tri-Valley League All-Star honors in football, basketball, and track. Rinaldi made his collegiate debut as a freshman in 2022 against Georgia. As a sophomore in 2023, he appeared in all 12 games, recording 21 tackles, one tackle for loss, and an interception. In 2024, his junior year, Rinaldi posted 47 total stops including seven behind the line of scrimmage, 3.5 sacks, nine QB hurries, and a pass breakup. He became the first Vanderbilt player named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Rinaldi is a returning graduate student in 2026.