Vanderbilt transfer RB Johann Cardenas signs with Minnesota

Vanderbilt transfer running back Johann Cardenas has signed with Minnesota, On3 has learned. He played just one season with the Commodores and took a redshirt, so will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Cardenas played high school football at St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, where he was a three-star prospect. He ranked as the No. 478 overall player and No. 36 running back in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Johann Cardenas is the third transfer running back that Minnesota has added this offseason, joining AJ Turner (Marshall) and Cameron Davis (Washington). He is also the 18th overall player that the Golden Gophers have added through the portal as they rank No. 29 in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Minnesota is coming off of an 8-5 finish this past season and won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Virginia Tech. The Golden Gophers also bring back last year’s leading rusher Darius Taylor, so Cardenas will have plenty of competition as he battles for playing time.

The spring transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close 10 days later on Friday, April 25. As of this writing, more than 3,600 FBS scholarship players have entered the transfer portal in the 2024-25.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Southeast Missouri State transfer DL Jaylon Stone commits to Vanderbilt

Southeast Missouri State transfer defensive lineman Jaylon Stone is headed to the SEC. He’s taking his talents to Vanderbilt via the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned.

Stone has a three-star rating in the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings. He’s the No. 304 overall transfer, and the No. 24 defensive lineman at the moment. Now, he’ll be hoping to out-play his rating with the Commodores.

Over the course of his two seasons with the RedHawks, Stone accumulated 40 total tackles and two sacks. Vanderbilt believes there’s something special here, so we’ll see what they tap into in 2025. There’s certainly some potential moving forward for their defensive line, as they look to keep up the momentum they gained in 2024.

On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.