Vanderbilt’s passing game found an early lifeline Saturday, and it came from a tight end who has made a habit of being where the ball is supposed to go.
Jayvontay Conner was the first pass catcher lined up to the left of freshman quarterback Jared Curtis when Vanderbilt faced a third down and forever in a scoreless game against Delaware. Curtis moved through the pocket and stepped up, and Conner kept his route straight down the middle before popping open a couple yards from the goal line. He hauled in Curtis’ throw and tumbled forward to what looked like inches short of the end zone.
It did not count as a touchdown, but it was the kind of play that cracked the game open for Vanderbilt’s offense. Conner finished with a team-high six catches and 87 receiving yards, the second-most among Commodore pass catchers in the game.
“I know you didn’t ask about JC [Jayvontay Conner], but here’s another tight end who had a career-high in receptions tonight and he’s become such a trusted target in the passing game. Very proud of him, too,” Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea said. “That room, it’s a next man up mentality.”
That role matters even more now because Conner is helping fill the gap left by injured tight end Cole Spence. Lea said Spence is week-to-week, and Conner has stepped in to keep the tight end group’s receiving value intact.
What Vanderbilt is getting from Conner goes beyond one game, though. He has quickly become a reliable piece of the program, valued by teammates and trusted on the field. He has taken on the responsibility of carrying the pass-catching load that comes with Spence being out.
Conner has also leaned into the same message he has repeated since arriving in Nashville: his “Waffle House” mindset. The idea is simple - he believes he is open on every play, just like the restaurant chain.
“Just going through practices and everything, I always enter the practice and games with that I’m Waffle House going out there. I always mention Waffle House all the time.
And that’s something I don’t just say, I promise you I live by every route that I run. And I truly believe that and I’m confident that every time I’m running a route that it’s Waffle House,” Conner said.
That confidence has shown up in the way he has worked with Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks. Lea has seen Conner build strong chemistry with Blaze Berlowitz and Jared Curtis, and Saturday’s win over Delaware reinforced that connection, especially with Curtis.
Conner said the relationship with Curtis is growing, but he makes a point of staying connected with every quarterback on the roster. That includes Curtis and Berlowitz, along with Whit Muschamp and Jack Elliott.
“I feel like I try to always be in their ear and always like ‘you always got me. You don’t got nobody else, you got me,’” Conner said.
“So, I always try to have that rapport with all the quarterbacks and just stay close with each and every one of them. I’m trying to stay close with them because at the end of the day, I have to ball with whoever is back there taking snaps.”
There is plenty of season left, but through two games Conner already looks like one of Vanderbilt’s best preseason additions.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Still Sees A Historic Path Despite One Early Concern
There is still a sense around Vanderbilt that this 2026 group can grow into something memorable, even if the early evidence has been mixed. Clark Lea and several players have talked with cautious optimism about the rosters potential, pointing to the recent win over Delaware as a sign that the Commodores are capable of putting good football together, even if they have not yet delivered a full performance from start to finish.
The concern, of course, is that the team is still sorting through an unsettled starting quarterback situation, which makes the next stretch feel especially important. Players have stressed patience and development rather than instant results, but the standard inside the program is not hard to find after last seasons success. Vanderbilt is still chasing a path that could put this team in historic territory, and the next few weeks should reveal whether the promise is real or still ahead of schedule. [Read more 🡒]