Will Sheppard lays out for impressive touchdown grab to put Vanderbilt on the board

Vanderbilt receiver Will Sheppard has been on a tear all season. That continued in the first half of Saturday’s game at Wake Forest as he made a diving touchdown catch to get the Commodores on the board.

With Wake Forest leading 10-0, Sheppard caught a pass in the back corner of the end zone to cut the lead to 10-7.

The play was reviewed as it was hard to tell if Sheppard stayed inbounds or not. However, officials determined that the call on the field stands. You can watch the crazy catch below:

OH MY @willshep20 #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/MykSvolmck

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) September 9, 2023

Will Sheppard has been one of the best receivers in the country through the first few weeks of the season.

The senior caught six passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the first game of the season against Hawaii and caught two more touchdowns last weekend against Alabama A&M. He now has five touchdowns through the first five halves of football on the season.

Sheppard was a second-team All-SEC selection last season after catching 60 passes for 776 yards and nine touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2021, he led Vanderbilt with four touchdowns.

Vanderbilt safety De’Rickey Wright able to play in Wake Forest game

Vanderbilt star safety De’Rickey Wright was able to suit up on Saturday against Wake Forest.

Wright left last week’s game against Alabama A&M with an injury but apparently it wasn’t serious.

If Wright was on the field against Alabama A&M, the Bulldogs likely would have faced even more heartache. The 6-foot-4 senior was fantastic in Vanderbilt’s season-opening victory over Hawaii on Aug. 26. In the triumph, Wright boasted two picks, a forced fumble and three tackles.

For his outstanding efforts, Wright was named the Reese’s Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week. After the Commodores’ Week 0 victory, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea praised his veteran defensive back.

“De’Rickey is a playmaker,” Lea said. “He’s a long, rangy, athletic guy and has really grown as he’s spent another year in the system. Both picks, obviously, were huge. The one in the endzone took points off the board for them and, obviously, the one that sealed the end of the game meant everything to us.

“I’m happy for him and proud of him. I thought there were strong plays for him in other areas, too. It’s a good start for him, for sure. I’m sure he’ll be looking to build on it.”