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Tennessee transfer DB Jordan Matthews says he joined 'the winning side' at Vanderbilt

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey09/24/25GrantRamey
Sep 20, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores cornerback Jordan Matthews (6) tackles Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Javon Robinson (5) for a loss during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores cornerback Jordan Matthews (6) tackles Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Javon Robinson (5) for a loss during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Former Tennessee defensive back Jordan Matthews apparently didn’t just transfer to Vanderbilt. He also transferred to “the winning side” of the longtime Tennessee-Vanderbilt football series. 

“I embrace the fact that I’m on the other side of it and now the winning side of it,” Matthews said, according to the Sports Illustrated network’s Vanderbilt site. “It’s actually been pretty cool.”

Vanderbilt is off to a 4-0 start and ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 after home wins over Charleston Southern and Georgia State and road wins at Virginia Tech and South Carolina. 

‘Some of my guys back at Tennessee like to give me some stuff for (the transfer)’

Matthews in four games has five tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He has 82 snaps on the season, according to Pro Football Focus, including a season-high 24 at South Carolina two weeks ago. 

He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on December 7 and committed to Vanderbilt on December 18, three days before Tennessee played at Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

“Definitely some of my guys back at Tennessee like to give me some stuff for (the transfer),” Matthews said, “and then some people here are giving me some stuff for it, too. But I feel like it’s a nice rivalry. It’s deep and rich.”

Vanderbilt was one of Tennessee’s three annual rivalry games, along with Alabama and Kentucky, when the SEC announced its new nine-game schedule format Tuesday night, meaning the Tennessee-Vanderbilt series isn’t going away anytime soon. 

Tennessee leads Vanderbilt series 80-33-5

Tennessee leads the Vanderbilt series 80-33-5 dating back to 1892. The Commodores won 11 of their first 12 games against Tennessee and beat the Vols 19 times between 1892 and 1926.

Since then, though, Tennessee gone 78-14-2 against Vandy. 

Matthews is a former four-star prospect in the 2023 class out of Baton Rouge, La. He appeared in 17 games over two seasons at Tennessee, finishing his career with four tackles and two passes defended.

He was injured during fall camp at Vanderbilt, according to the Sports Illustrated report, and has been playing catchup since then.

“I feel like I’m 100%,” Matthews said. “I feel like it was a real learning experience because I feel like at Tennessee I kind of went through battling for playing time there and then here I went through the little injuries. So I feel like God gave me obstacles in my way, but I found a way to overcome them and to just make plays.”