2020: Saw action in six of the Bulls' nine games on the season, including four starts at safety...posted 25 tackles (21 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and a pair of pass break-ups...posted a season-best seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the season-opening win over The Citadel (9/12)...had four tackles at Notre Dame (9/19)...missed three games mid-year due to COVID-19 issues...posted four tackles and a tackle for loss vs. Tulsa (10/23)...had three tackles and an interception, which he returned 38 yards, at Houston (11/14).
2019: Played in all 12 games and made nine starts at the nickel…finished with 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks…ended the year fourth on the team with three pass breakups…tied for first on the team with two forced fumbles, one each against South Carolina State (9/14) and East Carolina (10/26)…tallied nine tackles and a career-best two pass breakups against East Carolina…posted an interception and had a career-best two tackles for loss against Temple (11/7)…returned 19 kicks for 425 yards for an average of 22.4 per kick return…ranked fifth in The American in kick return average…had a season-best 67-yard kickoff return against UConn (10/5).
2018: Earned second team all-conference honors from Phil Steele as a kick returner...appeared in 12 games, making two starts at safety…emerged as one of the top kick returners in the nation, posting a 26.8 ypr average to rank second in The American and 13th nationally...posted 28 tackles (16 solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble…forced the fumble against Georgia Tech (9/8)… started in the season opener against Elon (9/1) and finished second on the team with 10 tackles…recorded at least one tackle in nine games…led the team with 17 kickoff returns and 455 return yards…had a season-long 62 yard kick return at Cincinnati (11/10).
2017: Saw action in one game and made one tackle against Temple (9/21).
TAMPA CATHOLIC HS: Played for Mike Gregory at Tampa Catholic…named an All-Hillsborough Team honorable mention as a senior and junior…earned team defensive MVP honors his final two seasons…No. 39 on the Tampa Bay Times HomeTeam 100…played for the South team at the North-South All-Star FACA Football Classic in 2016…as a junior, totaled 56 total tackles (36 solo), two tackles for loss, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal…also tallied 472 return yards (373 kickoff return yards and 99 punt return yards) and five touchdowns...named to Florida High School Football’s 2015 Class 3A All-state second team…rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals.
PERSONAL: Son of Sally and Gregory Sanders...has three sisters, Shai, Ava and Elese...born on Sept. 17, 1998...named to the 2018 and 2020 Athletics Spring Honor Roll...earned his degree in integrated public relations and advertising in the Fall of 2020.
SANDERS’ CAREER HIGHS
Tackles 10, vs. Elon (9/1/18)
TFL 2, vs. Temple (11/7/19)
Sacks 1, (2X), last vs. Temple (11/7/19)
INT 1, (3X), last at Houston (11/14/20)
FF 1, (3X), last at East Carolina (10/26/19)
PBU 2, at East Carolina (10/26/19)
Kickoff Return Yards 151, at Houston (10/27/18)
Kickoff Return Long 67, at UConn (10/5/19)
Kickoff Return Average 46.0 (2X), last at UConn (10/5/19)
SANDERS GAME-BY-GAME STATS
2020Â Tackles (Total-Solo-Assists)
The Citadel (7-5-2); Notre Dame (4-3-1); Tulsa (4-4-0); Memphis (3-2-1); Houston (3-3-0); UCF (4-4-0)
2019 Tackles (Total-Solo-Assists)
Wisconsin (4-4-0); Georgia Tech (4-4-0); South Carolina State (4-2-2); UConn (4-3-1); BYU (7-6-1); Navy (1-0-1); East Carolina (9-6-3); Temple (3-3-0); Cincinnati (1-1-0); Memphis (3-2-1).
2019 Kick Returns (Attempts-Yards-TDs)
Wisconsin (2-39-0); Georgia Tech (1-22-0); SMU (1-17-0); UConn (2-92-0); BYU (5-151-0); Navy (2-31-0); East Carolina (1-18-0); Temple (2-12-0); Memphis (1-21-0); UCF (2-22-0).
2018 Tackles (Total-Solo-Assists)
Elon (10-4-6); Georgia Tech (3-3-0); UMass (5-2-3); Tulsa (2-1-1); UConn (1-1-0); Houston (3-2-1); Tulane (1-0-1); Cincinnati (2-2-0); Marshall (1-1-0).
2018 Kick Returns (Attempts-Yards-TDs)
Tulsa (1-17-0); Houston (6-182-0); Tulane (4-62-0); Cincinnati (2-83-0); Temple (1-46-0); Marshall (3-65-0).
