Why Vanderbilt football’s Cole Adams transferred from Alabama, ready to prove himself

A Vanderbilt football goal post that was escorted down Broadway by an enthusiastic band of Commodores fans before being heaved into the Cumberland River on the night of Oct. 5, 2024 helped make graduate transfer receiver Cole Adams a believer that Nashville might be the place for him.

Adams, you see, was on that No. 1-ranked Alabama team. He had a front-row seat to what some consider the beginning of the rebirth of a program that had long been the laughingstock of the SEC.

Adams made two catches for 17 yards during that 40-35 loss. He also made it a point to pay attention to what was going on around him and the Diego Pavia-led Commodores.

“There were more Alabama fans in the stands than there were Vanderbilt,” Adams said March 24 after a spring practice. “And they whooped our butt. They whooped our butt.

“Not only was I in awe, but I was like, ‘Look at these guys.’ It was pretty cool from the opposite side of the field to see the relatedness and the brotherhood. … That was the first time I really looked at Vanderbilt, and I was like, ‘These guys have something good going on.’ “

How Tim Beck, Clark Lea helped bring Cole Adams to Vanderbilt football

Adams, who had 13 catches for 176 yards and one touchdown in 24 games spanning three seasons with the Crimson Tide, is expected to play a bigger role with his new team.

It’s a team that will have a new quarterback − freshman Jared Curtis seems most likely − with 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up Pavia gone chasing his NFL dreams.

A team that will have a bigger target on its back.

A team Adams joined thanks in large part to offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who recruited Adams when he played for Owasso High School in Oklahoma and Beck was coaching at TCU.

“We created a really close relationship really quickly,” said the 5-foot-10, 183-pound Adams, who also was Alabama’s primary punt returner. “Even back then, I felt like we related to each other a lot. He talked to my parents a ton, and they loved him as well.”

Clark Lea also made quite the impression on Adams during his official visit.

“When he came on campus and met with us, I was blown away with his engagement, his personality and just had the feeling that he was a fit for us,” Lea said. “He’s brought confidence. He’s brought that snap experience.

“He’s also a misfit. He’s a chip-on-the-shoulder guy, which I appreciate. It fits with our environment.”

Vanderbilt football replacing leadership with Diego Pavia’s departure

Which is a void the Commodores must fill in the absence of Pavia, whose leadership skills were lauded by many to be as, if not more, impressive as his abilities on the field.

Pavia quickly became a vocal leader. Wore a C on his chest. Led both vocally and by example.

Adams still considers himself the new kid on the block, but his pedigree and his past, not to mention his new coach, suggest that also will be part of his role.

Even if doesn’t fully feel prepared for that just yet.

“First I have to show on the field that I’m capable, showing the guys I can do the right things at all times before you’re vocal,” Adams said. “There’s a time and place to be a leader. You need to gain trust and respect before you can … help them out.

“I still feel young, but I guess I’m kind of an old head now. I guess you could say I’ve been through it. I’ve had some peers I looked up to and learned from. So now I’m just implementing that in my game.”

Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.