Vanderbilt Commodores · S RoomS
#8 CJ Heard
Class JR/TRFrom Florida Atlantic (transfer)Ht / Wt 5'11" · 210 lbHometown Atlanta, GA · Woodward Academy
Depth-chart placement
Current role
NB1Placement
StarterRoom
SafetyExperience
3-JRLast change
Updated 2026-07-29S room context
View full depth chart →CJ Heard holds the NB · Starter spot in Vanderbilt Commodores’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:
Transfer history
2026Florida Atlantic→Vanderbilt Commodores
Production
2025 seasonLatest season · 2025
71
Tackles
3.5
TFL
2
Sacks
3
Passes defended
5
QB hurries
1
INT
Background & career
CJ Heard is a nickelback for Vanderbilt who transferred from Florida Atlantic. The 5'11", 210-pound defender from Atlanta, Georgia, played prep football at Woodward Academy, appearing in 48 varsity games with 222 total tackles. At FAU in 2024, Heard led the Owls with 82 tackles and earned third-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. In his first season with the Commodores in 2025, he started all 13 games and tied for the team lead with 71 tackles while adding 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, an interception, and three pass breakups.
Florida Atlantic2024
Vanderbilt2025 — presentPrevious schoolFlorida AtlanticRecruiting3-star · No. 700 nationalOriginAtlanta, GA · Woodward Academy