Arkansas transfer portal RB Rocket Sanders expected to transfer to South Carolina
Arkansas transfer portal running back Rocket Sanders, the No. 2 running back in the transfer portal according to On3, is expected to commit to South Carolina.
247Sports Matt Zenitz and On3’s Pete Nakos publicly reported Sanders’ impending commitment on Wednesday morning. Sanders has not yet publicly announced a decision.
The 6-foot-2, 242-pounder took an official visit to the Gamecocks over the weekend.
South Carolina Transfer Portal Resources:
- South Carolina Target Watchlist
- South Carolina Portal Tracker
- On3 National Portal Tracker
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Sanders will be a massive addition and will likely step in as the clear top back in a revamped South Carolina backfield.
The Gamecocks will have to replace running backs Mario Anderson, who entered the portal, and Dakereon Joyner, who is out of eligibility.
In addition to Sanders, Carolina also added a transfer portal pledge from North Texas running back Oscar Adaway.
Sanders, a Rockledge, Fla. native, is ranked the No. 2 running back in the transfer portal by both On3 and the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the major recruiting sites. On3 ranks Sanders the No. 15 overall prospect in the portal, while the IR ranks him as the No. 17 prospect.
News broke last Tuesday night that Sanders was expected to enter the portal and then he followed through and officially did so on Wednesday morning, quickly setting a visit to Columbia.
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Injuries and a new offense kept Sanders from reaching his full potential in 2023 but he was one of the country’s best running backs in 2022, rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns to go with 28 receptions for 271 yards and two scores.
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains spent two seasons at Arkansas as tight ends coach, two years that overlapped with part of Sanders’ time in Fayetteville. Sanders, who was more of a wide receiver/athlete recruit out of high school, was also originally recruited to Arkansas by then-wide receivers coach Justin Stepp, who currently coaches the position in Columbia.
While it was a different coaching staff at the time, South Carolina was also a finalist for Sanders out of high school.
A four-star ATH out of high school, the Rockledge High graduate signed with Arkansas as part of the 2021 class when he was ranked the No. 15 ATH and No. 315 overall propect in his class.
