Vanderbilt Gets Solid Transfer Addition in Group of Five Wide Receiver – Sports Illustrated

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Vanderbilt football continues to rebuild its offensive weaponry through the transfer portal. After adding former Alabama wide receiver Cole Adams, Vanderbilt added a second wide receiver through the transfer portal.
Monday afternoon, former Old Dominion sophomore wide receiver Ja’Cory Thomas told JGPCFB on Twitter/X  (@jgpvisuals/X) that he has committed to transfer to Vanderbilt.
Thomas was second on Old Dominion in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns this season with 41 catches for 719 yards and five touchdowns during the 2025 season. His efforts on the field helped Old Dominion finish the year with a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Cure Bowl, where the Monarchs won 24-10. In the postseason win, Thomas had three receptions for 45 yards on eight targets.
Thomas spent his freshman year of college in JUCO play, where he helped Hutchinson College in Hutchinson, Kansas win a JUCO National Championship. During that season, Thomas had 375 yards and two touchdowns.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea getting the addition of Thomas is not something that is to be ignored. Thomas was able to produce in some of the biggest games of Old Dominion’s season. Against Virginia Tech on Sep. 13, Thomas had three catches for 83 yards in a 45-26 upset victory over the Hokies. Against Indiana the first week of the season, Thomas hauled in two catches for 24 yards.
Thomas’ best performance of the season was in a 21-7 win over Liberty on Sep. 27. In the game, Thomas had career-high 114 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. Thomas averaged 17.5 yards per reception over the course of the season.
What Thomas brings to Vanderbilt is being a downfield threat to opposing defenses. Just like how former Vanderbilt wide receiver Tre Richardson was a common weapon used to catch passes down the field for the Commodores during the 2025 season, Thomas could see a similar role under Lea’s system next season.
With Adams and Thomas added through the portal, Lea has brought in two receivers with plenty of potential to help offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s offense pick up where it left off in 2025. Beck’s offense was one of the more potent units in the country behind quarterback Diego Pavia, averaging 38.5 points per game. In a post-Pavia era where five-star recruit Jared Curtis could end up being the new starter, Vanderbilt needs to supply its new quarterback with as many weapons as it can get.
Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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