Rocket is Ready for Liftoff

It’s not often that a First Team All-SEC running back goes into a season with something to prove, but for South Carolina senior Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who transferred from Arkansas after last season, coming back from a couple of injuries makes him want to show that he still has what it takes to be one of the best.

“No matter what situation I’m in, I feel like I always have something to prove – not to everybody around me, but to myself because I hold myself to a higher standard,” said Sanders, who has already earned a degree in sports management and has a desire to do something where he can give back to the community after football. “I’m really excited. I am blessed to be back.”

“He has the talent to play at the next level, so let’s get him there,” said Chip Morton, Senior Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at South Carolina and previously worked in the NFL for 27 years. “I want him to have his time in the sun. He’s been a great worker, and he’s diligent. We brought him along carefully, and he was patient. He brought it every day, and he still does. It will be fun to watch him.

“He’s always looking for an edge and always doing the right thing whether it’s with rehab or nutrition and everything else. He is interested in utilizing all the resources we have here at South Carolina. He lost some weight but increased his muscle mass. He’s a better version of himself. We hope his game speed is going to be faster.”

Sanders earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2022 after rushing for 1,443 yards, which was the fourth most in a single season at Arkansas, while averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He added 28 catches and two receiving touchdowns that year. He was a pre-season All-American heading into the 2023 season, but a knee injury cut his season short. When he decided to go elsewhere, he needed to find a place that felt like home.

“After leaving Arkansas, I felt like this was the right spot,” Sanders said. “(Assistant strength and conditioning coach) Jamil (Walker) was on the staff at Arkansas my freshman and sophomore year, and that was someone who took care of me and treated me like family right away. Then he came here. Whenever I came on a visit here, Coach (Shane) Beamer made me feel like I was at home as well. South Carolina’s not far from my home (in Florida) as well.”

After rehabbing from the knee injury and then a shoulder injury in the spring, the Rocket is ready for liftoff.

“I’m full go!” Sanders said. “I dropped a couple of pounds during the summer. I’ve done all the workouts, and I feel great. It was about getting my body back right and building relationships with people on the team. I’ve been trying to bond with people on both sides of the ball.

“Running style-wise, I’m a downhill runner, and I’ve got a little wiggle to me as well. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better since my freshman year. A person I’ve looked up to is (NFL running back) Leonard Fournette.”

“I had eyes on him every time he trained,” Morton said. “As he’s gotten stronger and stronger, I’ve been able to step back and let him do more of what everyone else is doing. That was the journey. By the end, he was doing everything and doing it well. He had a great rehab because he did everything to the letter. His progression was steady. He’s a remarkable athlete. He has remarkable ability and gifts.

“He is eager to learn. I was in the NFL for 27 years and have seen a lot of hall of famers and high-end guys who are really into training and taking care of their bodies, and he is arguably in my top ten list of dedicated athletes.”

At six-feet tall and 230 pounds, “Rocket” can dish out as much or more punishment than he receives. He still has the afterburners as well.

“I got the nickname ‘Rocket’ when I was six or seven,” Sanders said. “I was running really fast, and the team I was playing for at the time was called the Rockets.”

He has a softer side as well, and that comes out when he talks about his three-year old son, Raheim, Jr.

“He is my heart,” Sanders said. “It’s hard being away, but going into my senior year, I know how to adapt to it now. He’s old enough now that he’s picking up the phone and calling me. He’s back at home (in Florida), but he comes up here as well. I’m a family guy. It’s always about family. I’m a God-first person as well. I play a lot of Godly music in the morning to start my day.

“With the first time being a father, just the way I carry myself is a reflection on him. He’s smart. He picks up so much, so that’s why I watch what I do around him.”

As he gets ready for his first season in Columbia, Sanders is excited to play in front of the Gamecock faithful.

“I’ve heard so many things about how loud it gets here, and I’m ready to see that atmosphere!”