The Junior Sherrill Game: How Sherrill Broke Out in Vanderbilt's Win Over Utah State
In this story:
NASHVILLE—The momentary hand fighting subsided, Junior Sherrill faced up along the frontline of the end zone and went up to eventually snatch a ball that may have otherwise clanged off of the black concrete wall off to the home side of Vanderbilt’s north end zone seating. It was a moment that embodies the difference between Vanderbilt’s junior receiver and the skinny freshman named Junior Sherrill that wore No. 85.
What Sherrill did with 1:23 to go in the first half of Vanderbilt’s eventual 55-35 win over Utah State was something that a man does. A man wins a one-on-one on the perimeter and finishes the play with awareness and an element of physicality greater than the opponent, he also does it consistently.
Perhaps a younger version of Sherrill wouldn’t have made that play in that moment, but this one did for his third touchdown of the day.
“I was kind of hot in that moment,” Sherrill said. “Diego trusted me to make a play for him. All the work we put in this offseason started to pay off.”
The moment itself would’ve been significant in itself, but a sliver of it almost felt insignificant. It was just another box for the Vanderbilt receiver to check. Sherrill had already eclipsed his career high in receiving yards at that point. He’d already found the end zone twice. He’d already given credence to the idea that he can do things that only No. 1 wide receivers can.
Sherrill left the field on Saturday afternoon with 91 yards, six catches on six targets and three touchdowns. In a place where Sherrill has had to learn to swallow his pride, block and watch others get more targets, he finally had his moment. He finally had the game that indicated he can be a No. 1 guy.
“Most definitely,” Sherrill said when asked if this was his best game at Vanderbilt. “But, there’s more to come. I just want to thank God for the opportunity to be on this stage and showcase my talents that he gave me. It’s always incredible.”
The Vanderbilt receiver claimed this offseason that he was intent on becoming a more complete receiver while Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea declared that he’d taken a step forward. Vanderbilt safety Marlen Sewell says he knew all along that Sherrill would be a player, but Sherrill is finally proving week in and week out that he’s not a one-trick pony.
“He’s still got time to even progress,” Sewell said. “Just to see him putting what he did on display, it’s something that we’ve always seen in the shadows.”
As the fall wore on, Sherrill was more consistently making an impact on each fall camp practice, he was more consistently blocking and he was more consistently leading. He was more consistently looking like a No. 1 wide receiver.
All he had to show for it through the first four games of the season was 11 catches, 134 yards and a lesson in selflessness, though. While seemingly every Vanderbilt receiver and running back had already established themselves with a standout moment, Sherrill was still there waiting his turn. Now, he finally has the spotlight.
“He’s got so many more of these games ahead of him,” Lea said. “He’s a really good football player. Today was his day and I’m happy for him. From my understanding it’s the most touchdowns in a game since Earl Bennett. Anytime we can try to start passing Earl Bennett in the record books, that’s a good day.”
Lea says that for every catch Sherrill makes, he likely has six or seven standout blocks and that he “sets the tone” for this Vanderbilt team. The Vanderbilt coach and Sherrill–a fellow Nashville native–have been through “a lot” together and have built a mutual admiration. They’ve often valued the same things over the years, including unselfishness.
Sherrill has been that this season as he’s played through a nagging knee injury, an accomplishment which Lea calls “impressive” and being the leader of a room that’s looked to block enough to open up Vanderbilt’s running game consistently.
“We say ‘the ball finds energy,’” Sherrill said. “If I just keep bringing myself and bringing energy to the field, the ball is gonna find me.”
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
Follow joey_dwy