Vanderbilt Football Lands Former All-ACC Defensive Piece

NASHVILLE---Vanderbilt football just bolstered its defensive backfield.

Clark Lea and company landed a commitment from Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones on Sunday evening, per a report from Hayes Fawcett. Jones recorded 39 tackles, three passes defended and one forced fumble. The most eye popping number associated with the Clemson transfer is his six interceptions--which led the ACC last season.

Jones earned All-ACC honors after his sophomore season after starting 12 of the Tigers' 13 games.

The Georgia native played 716 total snaps for Clemson last season and recorded the most interceptions of any Clemson player since 2009. Jones' sophomore season saw him take a significant leap after playing just 124 snaps as a freshman in 2024. The Clemson safety saw his position coach Mickey Conn depart from the program this offseason in order to become the defensive coordinator at Samford.

Jones received a 66.5 overall grade on the season, via PFF. His highest graded area was coverage--where he received a 68.8. Jones also received a 65.0 grade as a pass rusher and a 58.2 in run defense.

The Clemson safety had his best outing of the season in Clemson's rivalry matchup with South Carolina--in which he picked off two passes and received a grade over 90 for the performance.

Vanderbilt adds Jones to a safety room that includes CJ Heard--who has said he intends to return--as well as talented underclassmen Dontae Carter and Carson Lawrence. The Commodores lose veteran safety Marlen Sewell to graduation as well as Randon Fontenette--who played STAR for Vanderbilt, but is a safety by trade--to the transfer portal.

Jones is Vanderbilt's 13th transfer-portal commit and is its seventh from a power-five program. He's perhaps its biggest get to date out of the portal--although 247 Sports evaluators graded him just a three-star transfer.

Here's 247 evaluator Andrew Ivins' breakdown of the safety from his high school days.

"A bigger safety prospect that always seems to be in the right spot at the right time," Ivins wrote. "Junior season was marred by injury, but already has a dozen varsity interceptions to his credit. Has also produced his fair share of takeaways on the 7-on-7 circuit while facing high-end competition. Measurements and testing data have been hard to procure, but multiple in-person evaluations suggest that he's over 6-foot-2 and north of 185 pounds with room to add some additional mass. Might not have any speed markers on file, but flashes plenty of range on tape and can attack the rim on hardwood, having averaged just over 16 points per game as a junior.

"Educated in how to play Cover 2 defense and is one that usually takes the right angles in coverage. Spirited in run support and is likely only going to be more effective as an open-field tackler once he's lifting in a college weight room. Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Five level. Must keep improving as a 1-on-1 defender and learn how to diagnose complex offensive schemes on the fly, but could be utilized in a variety of different ways on the backend with his skill set. NFL upside."

The Clemson transfer has two seasons of eligibility remaining.