Clemson transfer DB Ricardo Jones commits to Vanderbilt
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Clemson transfer safety Ricardo Jones has committed to play for Vanderbilt in the 2026 season, On3’s Hayes Fawcett has learned. He played the past two seasons with the Tigers and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Jones stepped into a starting role this past season after playing 12 games in a reserve role as a true freshman in 2024. This year, he finished with six interceptions to lead the ACC in addition to 39 total tackles, three passes defended and a fumble recovery. He earned All-ACC third team honors for his performance.
Ricardo Jones played high school football at Northside in Warner Robins, Georgia, where he was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He ranked as the No. 142 overall player and No. 9 safety in the cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
As a transfer, Jones is the No. 276 overall player and No. 26 safety to enter the portal this offseason according to On3. He is the 12th player that Vanderbilt has added through the portal, as well as the first safety.
Vanderbilt is coming off of its first 10-win season in program history, finshing the year with a 10-3 record. The Commodores now look forward to continuing to build toward becoming a regular contender in the SEC, and the transfer portal addition of Ricardo Jones is a big step toward doing so.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
More on the transfer portal in 2026
The 15-day transfer portal this winter will be the only window, opening Jan. 2 and closing on Jan. 16. The NCAA opted to eliminate the spring transfer portal window for football, meaning this will be the only opportunity for student athletes to enter their names.
The move to a one-time-only portal is supposed to allow schools to finish their season with their entire team before the transfer portal opens. As has been the previous standard, athletes on College Football Playoff teams still playing would have 5 days beginning the day after their team’s final game to enter the transfer portal.
This season’s CFP semifinals took place Jan. 8 and 9. The CFP national championship game between Miami and Indiana is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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