A smile beamed across the face of Owen Cabell as he fancied the prospect of playing alongside Jared Curtis next season.
Cabell will join Curtis on West End Ave., after move from Alabama to Vanderbilt during his national signing ceremony at Christ Presbyterian Academy on December 3. Cabell had previously committed to Alabama on June 30.
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His decision to stay home was made in just 24 hours.
“I had great connections there. I gave it serious thought when I made my initial decision,” Cabell told the Tennessean. “I loved the official (visit), I love the coaches. They’re just good guys, to the core. Coach (Clark) Lea is a real man. He called me and he didn’t talk about football at all last night, even in the mess of it all, he just wanted to see how I was doing and talk to me specifically.”
More: Jared Curtis reveals Vanderbilt football commitment after dramatic day
On Saturday, November 29, Cabell learned Alabama wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard was hired as Oregon State’s head coach, and just three days later, the Commodores obtained the signature of the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, Curtis, who would have had already been interned in Georgia.
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As reports circulated of Curtis’ flip on Dec. 2, Cabell received a call from Vanderbilt staff members expressing interest, having already made him an offer during his freshman season. A few minutes into the call, Lea’s voice appeared on the other end, and Cabell quickly felt the need to stay home.
Owen Cabell, second from right, talks with family and friends after his announcement during signing day at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. Cabell changed his allegiance from Alabama football to Vanderbilt football.
A subsequent text message to Curtis revealed that the Nashville Christian star had urged Vanderbilt coaches to go after Cabell. That late surge, coupled with changes to Alabama’s coaching staff, turned the tide in Vandy’s favor.
“I think in Owen’s mind and in our hearts, it was like, ‘Hey, he’s really wanted here,'” Cabell’s father, Thomas, said. “That’s what I think was a core idea for us, that you have the best quarterback in the class, in the country, looking to Vanderbilt. He sees the vision there. He’s a local option for us and he’s asking for Owen by name. So I think we needed to move forward with at least hearing what the option was.”
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Cabell is #5 in The Tennessean Dandy Dozenis the state’s No. 20 recruit in the Class of 2026 and the No. 87 ranked wide receiver nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He finished his senior season at CPA with 1,194 all-purpose yards and nine total touchdowns.
Cabell vividly remembers his official visit to Vanderbilt before the 2025 season and was ultimately swayed by the promises of success that are evident as the Commodores are 10-2 and ranked 14th in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings.
“They clearly laid out a plan during my official visit on what they were going to do this season,” Cabell said. “Looking at it now, at the end of the season, that’s exactly what they presented. So they’re keeping their word and have definitely proven their success there. You can’t say it’s a fluke anymore.”
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for the Daily Herald and the Tennessean. Send him an email to [email protected] and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article was originally published on Nashville Tennessean: Why Owen Cabell turned to Vanderbilt football from Alabama
