It has become almost routine for Vanderbilt fans: when the Commodores need a shot play, Jared Curtis looks for Junior Sherrill. The freshman quarterback and his top receiver have quickly turned deep sideline throws into one of the defining features of the offense, whether the result is a touchdown or a drive-changing gain.
Sherrill entered the season as the expected No. 1 option at receiver, but his partnership with Curtis has separated him from the rest of Vanderbilt’s pass-catching group. Curtis keeps feeding him, and the volume tells the story. In game after game, Sherrill has become the first name in the progression, the guy Vanderbilt leans on when it wants to ignite the offense.
“The good thing about Junior is he can play parts. He can play every receiver on the field.
He knows all the routes. He knows everything about it,” Curtis said.
“If we really want him out there and to get the ball, then we’ll put him in the spot he needs to execute.”
Curtis said he likes what he has done throwing the ball down the field, especially when that target is Sherrill. Vanderbilt has built plays with that connection in mind, and when the Commodores want a spark, that’s where the ball often goes.
But Sherrill isn’t the only teammate Curtis has clicked with. Wide receiver Ja’Cory Thomas has also become a bigger part of the offense, and Curtis said that chemistry has helped raise Thomas’ role over the first few weeks.
“He’s really stepped up and he’s got his confidence and he goes out there and he shows it and he’s going to be a big player for us for sure,” Curtis said.
For Curtis, there is more to the job than just throwing passes. He is one of the youngest players on the roster, but as Vanderbilt’s starting quarterback, he has to help set the tone with teammates and coaches. That responsibility seems to come naturally to him, and he has made a point of spending time with the people around him.
“Getting around the guys. If it’s coach Lea setting up a dinner, a quarterback setting up a dinner.
Quarterbacks, o-line, receivers go eat. Talk to them around campus, go to their house and they come over to mine,” Curtis said on what he does to build connections with his teammates.
That mindset matters even more because Curtis is not used to this kind of record. At Nashville Christian, he was around a lot more winning. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, sits at 3-4 with five games left in the season.
The Commodores know SEC wins are hard to come by, but Curtis said the approach has to stay simple. For him, that means stripping it down to the next snap, then the next game.
“The first key is just one play at a time, which is the same thing as one game at a time. Like coach Lea said, we haven’t lost four games, we’ve lost one at a time,” Curtis said. “You go out there and 24-hour rule right after, then you bounce back and get ready for next week.”
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Vanderbilt Already Looks Different Under Mark Byington For One Reason
Vanderbilts first glimpse under Mark Byington offered a pretty clear theme: this group already looks more connected than a typical roster still trying to find itself in October. Against UAB, the Commodores moved with real purpose and got meaningful contributions from Tyler Tanner, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Bangot Dak, with Dak showing why he was such a sought-after transfer. For a team that enters the year as one of the youngest in the power conferences, the biggest early takeaway wasnt just talent. It was how willingly the pieces seemed to fit together.
Byington was encouraged by the larger picture even as he noted the kind of early-game sloppiness that comes with a new group learning how to play together. The turnovers and nervous moments were part of the process, but the bigger point was that Vanderbilt did not look like a roster still waiting to become a team. If that cohesion holds as the competition gets sharper, the Commodores may have found a foundation that can accelerate their growth far sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Fans Just Got An Intriguing First Look At Ant Brown
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The freshmans ability to handle the ball and create for others caught the attention of head coach Mark Byington and teammate Tyler Tanner, both of whom came away encouraged by the debut. For a team still figuring out how its backcourt will fit together, Browns performance added a little more intrigue to the offense and suggested there may already be a young guard ready to carve out meaningful minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts New-Look Roster Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe
Vanderbilts new-look basketball roster offered a promising first look in Memorial Gym, rolling past UAB in its home exhibition game and giving the Commodores something tangible to build on before the season starts. The performance had the kind of energy coaches like to see in October, with the team leaning on defense, creating turnovers and protecting the rim while several newcomers and key returners settled into their roles.
Tyler Tanner, Ant Brown Jr. and Bangot Dak were among the players who helped set the tone, and the mixture of pressure defense and activity on both ends suggested there is more to this group than preseason optimism alone. Vanderbilt still has one more exhibition left against Miami (FL) to close out the preseason, and it should provide a better read on how close this roster is to becoming what the Commodores hope it can be. [Read more 🡒]