Former South Carolina star signs with new NFL team

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Chargers waived former South Carolina running back Rocket Sanders. Despite having a strong preseason, Sanders did not wind up on the 53-man roster.

It didn’t take long for him to find a new home.

On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns claimed Sanders off waivers. With the franchise, he will reunite with teammate Gage Larvadain, who made the initial 53-man roster in Cleveland.

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Last season, the Browns finished the year with the fourth-lowest total of rushing yards on the year. They also finished tied for the second-worst number of touchdowns on the ground, as the team found the end zone just eight times total on rushing plays in 2024. Making matters worse, Nick Chubb is no longer with the organization.

Sanders joins a team that desperately needs more production from the running back position. He will compete against expected starter Jerome Ford and fellow rookies Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins. At the time of this writing, Judkins remains unsigned.

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Sanders spent just one year in Columbia following a transfer from Arkansas. However, he made that one season count.

As the starter all season, Sanders tallied nearly 1200 yards from offense and 13 total touchdowns. His game-winning shovel pass catch-and-run against Missouri will be remembered forever as one of the loudest moments in Williams-Brice Stadium history, as the Gamecock back broke multiple tackles and incited a roar that had local seismographs measuring earthquake-like activity on George Rogers Boulevard.

Sanders was an All-SEC selection for South Carolina last fall and was an undrafted free agent this spring. Though things didn’t work out with the Chargers, he will get another chance with the Browns.

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