Film Room: Vanderbilt’s dangerous duo – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Junior Sherrill has been keeping his word. He told the media before the season that he believed he could be one of the best wide receivers in the SEC. Three games in — and only one with future star Jared Curtis starting at quarterback — Sherrill looks like the consistent number one wide receiver that Vanderbilt has been searching for. 
The chaotic ending to Vanderbilt’s comeback win over NC State seemed to overshadow the dominance of the Curtis-to-Sherrill connection throughout the game. The wide receiver finished with a stat line of six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, his best game of the season despite consistently impressive outings thus far. 
This goes to show that, even though he had good production in the first two games, his game has leveled up with Jared Curtis taking over at the helm. And it’s this connection, built on trust just as much as physical ability, that Vanderbilt will need to lean on if it hopes to find success this season. 
Curtis and Sherrill connected on three deep fade routes in Saturday’s game, including Vanderbilt’s first touchdown, as well as a second score late in the game on a nasty double move. Whether it was a completion down the sideline or a dime dropped into the end zone, the success of the fade ball showed two things in the game. 
Sherrill, who typically creates highlights out of shorter routes like slants, has added another consistent aspect to his game. While it’s not uncommon to see him burn cornerbacks on the outside, the fact that he came down with big gains on deep routes on three separate drives is a feat reserved for college football’s best. 
And for Curtis, the success of those deep passes served as examples for what he can become. Yes, he made mistakes (most notably, the pick thrown on Vanderbilt’s last offensive drive), but he has the arm talent to be one of the best signal-callers in the country.
Sherrill developed a connection with former Heisman runner-up quarterback Diego Pavia that led to a successful third year, particularly in the touchdown department. If you break down the receiver’s scores in 2025, many came on intermediate routes that included skinny posts, fades, and deep slants.
This year, his yardage has also come from a broad variety of routes, but his two scores are a different story. Both came from fade routes, and his connection with Curtis was exemplified even before the snap.
“He checked the play to me [on the touchdown],” Sherrill told the media after the game. “We can signal the routes to each other and make the plays that need to be made.”
Sherrill’s statement underscores the chemistry being built between him and his young quarterback, who trusts his wideout enough to tell the entire huddle where the ball is going. It serves as a reminder of a past version of Sherrill reeling in touchdowns thrown by Vanderbilt’s former No. 2, and it’s a great sign in the development of Curtis’ leadership.
All eyes will be on this connection again this weekend in eastern Alabama. If Vanderbilt hopes to go to Auburn and leave with a win, Sherrill will likely need to light up the stat sheet again. He believes he can be the best receiver in the SEC, and Curtis has the talent to be the best quarterback in the country in the coming years. The journey has started, but the duo’s toughest challenge of the season is yet to come. 
The Commodores will face off against the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3:15 p.m. CDT. 
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