Vanderbilt to Welcome Two Potential Transfer Targets for Campus Visits
Mark Byington and the Vanderbilt Commodores, by many metrics, overachieved this season. For a team that consisted of no players taller than 6-foot-9, the 'Dores found a lot of success in the toughest conference in the nation.
While the team was bounced in the first round of the tournament, the trajectory of the program is trending up, and attention has already turned to next season. According to Joe Tipton of On3 and Sam Kayser of League Ready, Vanderbilt is expected to host two potential transfer prospects this week.
Tipton reports that Youngstown State transfer Gabe Dynes, a 7-foot-3 center, will be making the trip to Nashville on Saturday, March 29th for a visit with Byington and his staff.
Youngstown State transfer Gabe Dynes, a 7-foot-3 center, has scheduled a visit to Vanderbilt for Saturday, per his agent Adam Papas.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 27, 2025
Plans to have Zoom meetings with Mississippi State, USC, and Oklahoma State. Northwestern will host him on campus on Monday.… https://t.co/aOjjXmTBYC pic.twitter.com/gPdWMIkXkk
An unranked prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Dynes saw limited time in his first year with the Penguins before putting together a strong sophomore campaign in 2024-25. He averaged 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game while seeing the court for 21 minutes per contest.
The next player who is expected to be in town, as reported by Kayser, is Del Jones, a 6-foot-2, 187 lb. guard from Clemson.
Clemson transfer Del Jones will take a visit to Vanderbilt tomorrow, his agent Larry Hall of HOF Sports Group told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser - 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) March 27, 2025
Jones has also heard from Cal, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Syracuse, Seton Hall and San Diego and is working on setting up a couple more visits.
Averaged… pic.twitter.com/0vUiogtqbw
While the potential addition of a player like Dynes has clear reasoning, Jones was used only sparingly for the Tigers last season, playing under 12 minutes per game and averaging just 3.8 points on the season.
Vanderbilt has seen five players enter their names in the transfer portal since the conclusion of the season, so the addition of Jones could make sense as a remedy for the departures. Regardless, year two under Mark Byington looks to be heading in the right direction as the Commodores appear to be trying to address some major concerns.
Mason Woods is the lead recruiting writer for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral, Vanderbilt Commodores on SI, Boston College Eagles on SI and Missouri Tigers on SI. A graduate of the University of Alabama, he has worked in sports media since 2020, beginning his career in radio production with Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa. Woods has produced a multitude of live programs and has even hosted his own shows as well. He regularly part of “The Joe Gaither Show” on weekdays and serves as host of the, “All Things Bama Podcast.”