2018 four-star Dashaun Jerkins commits to Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt landed their 11th commit for their class of 2018 on Friday, grabbing four-star safety Dashaun Jerkins.

Jerkins, a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, announced the move on his Twitter account.

While Jerkins is listed as a three-star via 247Sports Composite, the recruiting service gives him four stars when taking themselves into account. By that measure, he’s the third four-star of the group, joining wide receiver Camron Johnson and linebacker Alston Orji.

Jerkins is the ninth player from outside the state of Tennessee, as head coach Derek Mason is obviously trying to extend his reach. Players from Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, New Jersey and Texas comprise the out-of-state group, with two players - Johnson and Gavin Schoenwald, both hailing from Brentwood, Tennessee.

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound safety is listed as the 10th-best player in Virginia. He ranks 16th at his position in the country and 410th overall.

Vandy’s class now ranks fifth in the SEC after landing Jerkins, only trailing the likes of LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Kentucky. They also check in at 30th in the country overall. Both marks would be huge improvements after their 2017 class ranked dead last in the conference and 64th in the nation. There’s obviously plenty of time to go, but early signs should be keeping Vandy fans optimistic about the future.