Jimbo Fisher is effusive in praise of Arkansas linebacker, one-time target, Drew Sanders

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher was asked about Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders ahead of their matchup against the No. 10 ranked Razorbacks this weekend. Sanders was one of the top linebacker recruits in the nation out of high school, and the Texas native chose Alabama and played with the Crimson Tide for two seasons before entering the transfer portal. Fisher spoke about Sanders, and his experiencing recruiting him not just once, but twice.

“We tried to recruit the heck out of Drew, Drew was a great player out of the same school as some of the guys we’re recruiting now up in Denton, Denton Ryan, and he was a great player,” Fisher said. “We tried to recruit him, went to Alabama, and in the transfer portal and he got in it, I think we reached out but at the time we were way over.”

Fisher made it clear that the Aggies had already filled out their roster by the time Sanders was available in the transfer portal, and strongly emphasized that he would never sway a commit to de-commit from their program to make room for another player.

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“I don’t take guys, I know a lot of people may do this , I ain’t a run a guy off guy, I don’t believe in that. I never have never will, and if Drew Sanders would’ve transferred here I would’ve loved to have him.” Fisher said.

Fisher definitely isn’t the only coach in the nation that wished they could’ve gotten Sanders on their team. After two years of playing in more of a reserve and special teams role at Alabama, he burst onto the scene with Arkansas this season so far.

In his first three games for the Razorbacks he’s been nothing but disruptive for offenses, recording 28 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two pass break ups in his three games so far.

Fisher made it clear he would’ve loved to have Sanders as an Aggie, but this weekend he and Texas A&M will have to worry about slowing him down, something that not a single offense has done yet so far this season.

“I think he’s a phenomenal player, you can watch that guy play, he can rush a passer, he can play backer, he can run, he’s a special teams guy, guy’s a heck of a player,” Fisher said. “But you know your numbers and the guys you’ve got, you’re loyal to the guys you have and the people you recruited. So if the numbers are there and available, yeah I’d love to have had him, I mean no doubt.”