Gamecocks & Nittany Lions Loom Large With SAF Kaj Sanders
SPORTSTALK / March 17, 2023
(6-1 175) of Oradell, NJ has not officially narrowed his list to a final two, but right now USC and Penn State clearly hold his strongest interest. He visited both for junior days and has scheduled official visits with both. His USC trip will be June 3rd and his State College visit will be three weeks later.“I don’t really have a top two right now, but I feel real highly of those two programs as of right now,” Sanders said. “I’m thinking real highly of the Gamecocks because I know the football team is amazing, and the coaches check up on me to see how I’m doing. They are always talking to me to try and build a bond before I even get there.”
Sanders said his January visit to Columbia not only served a football purpose, it also gave him a chance to hear more about the academic side of the University.
“I learned a lot about the education there, because there was a meeting about the education,” Sanders said. “We had a talk with some of the players, and they truly think South Carolina is a great place. They have a lot of fun there and the coaches there are great.”
Secondary coach Torrian Gray is the lead recruiter for the Gamecocks with Sanders. The two have become tight through the recruiting process.
“I think Coach Gray is a great guy, and especially a great coach,” Sanders said. “He’s always going to keep it a hundred with you. He’s never going to tell you a lie. Even if you do something good, if he sees something wrong with it, he’s going to try and help you fix it. He’s a great guy.”
Sanders said from what he’s been told by Gray, the coach likes how he handles things in the backend of the secondary. Last season Sanders had around 65 tackles and three interceptions.
“He told me that he liked that I can get from sideline to sideline,” he said. “How physical I am. I actually tackle and I have ballhawk skills.”
Sanders is also aware that Gray started a pair of true freshman last season.
“That’s definitely something that caught my eye because it shows that no matter what grade you’re in, if you’re good enough to play he’s going to play you,” Sanders said.
Sanders also went to junior days at Duke and Rutgers. He doesn’t have any spring visits set at this point. Some of his other offers include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Boston College, NC State, Louisville, Purdue, Maryland and West Virginia.