Vanderbilt lands commitment from Jacksonville State center Mason Nicholson out of transfer portal

Vanderbilt has landed a commitment from Jacksonville State center Mason Nicholson, On3 has learned. Nicholson spent the past three seasons with the Gamecocks before seeking to play at a higher level.

A 6-foot-10, 280-pound big man, Nicholson has the frame to be a dominant presence in the post. That was borne out by his numbers.

As a junior in 2024-25, Mason Nicholson averaged 7.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He also blocked 1.7 shots per contest, proving to be a nice rim protector for the Gamecocks.

He’ll be able to take that same skill set to the Commodores, where he’ll be coached by Mark Byington. Vanderbilt had only one player who had the kind of rebounding numbers Nicholson did this year, forward Devin McGlockton (7.9 rebounds per contest).

Nicholson’s evolution as a player has been consistent over the years. As a freshman in 2022-23, he played in just eight games. He did not record any starts.

During that time, he averaged just 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds. He did so on 5.3 minutes per game.

But his usage began to increase considerably in 2023-24, his sophomore season. Mason Nicholson started half of his team’s games that year (16 of 32), averaging 15.1 minutes per contest. His averages rose to 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, while his block numbers began to emerge, at 1.3 per game.

Finally, his junior season in 2024-25 included the numbers above. While Nicholson is an excellent physical presence down low, there are still some holes in his game.

He shot just 51.5% from the free-throw stripe for Jacksonville State during his three seasons there. Improving that figure will be paramount in the SEC. Still, he’s a strong get for the Commodores.

Mason Nicholson was unrated as a recruit out of high school, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Players must have ratings from multiple major recruiting services to be included in the On3 Industry Rankings.