T.J. Sanders

*2024 Third-Team All-America (College Football Nation)
*2024 First-Team All-SEC (College Football Nation)
*2024 Second-Team All-SEC (AP, Phil Steele)
*2024 SEC Interior Defender of the Year (College Football Nation)
*2023 Third-Team All-SEC (College Football Network)
*2023 Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
*2023 Nutrition Award
*2023 Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring
*2023 co-South Carolina Spirit Award – Defense

Talented defensive tackle who spent four years in the Gamecock program… appeared in 39 games over four seasons with 16 career starts… elected to forego his final year of eligibility to turn pro following the 2024 season.

2024 (Redshirt Junior)
Fourth-year defensive tackle… appeared in all 13 games making nine starts… College Football Nation tabbed him as a first-team All-SEC performer and a third-team All-American while selecting him as the SEC’s Interior Defender of the Year… named to the second-team All-SEC squad by the AP and Phil Steele… finished fifth on the squad and led the defensive lineman with 50 tackles including 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks… also credited with six quarterback hurries and one pass breakup… posted a season-high nine tackles against Ole Miss… added seven stops each against Missouri and Clemson… had sacks against Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Missouri… recorded at least three tackles in nine of 13 contests.

2023 (Redshirt Sophomore)
Turned in an impressive spring session when he was recognized as the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring and shared the Spirit Award for the defense with Alex Huntley… earned third-team All-SEC honors from College Football Network and was a fourth-team all-league performer according to Phil Steele… played in all 12 games starting seven contests at defensive tackle… recorded 43 tackles, most among the defensive linemen, with a team-leading 9.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks… credited with four pass breakups and four quarterback hurries… posted at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of the 12 games… earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week accolades for his performance against Georgia despite a losing outcome… credited with a career high nine tackles against Georgia, while also recording 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack… notched 1.5 sacks against Florida… credited with five tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss against Clemson… presented with the Nutrition Award following the season.

2022 (Redshirt Freshman)
Appeared in 12 games… did not play against Charlotte… credited with 16 tackles including 1.0 sack, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries… posted his first career tackle against Arkansas, first pass breakup against Georgia and first quarterback hurry of the season in the win over South Carolina State… also had a QB hurry at Vanderbilt… credited with a tackle in each of the final seven games… had three tackles including his first sack and tackle for loss at Florida… put together a solid TaxSlayer Gator Bowl game against Notre Dame with a career-high four stops.

2021 (Freshman)
True freshman defensive lineman who saw action in two contests… appeared in both the season opener against Eastern Illinois and in the season finale against North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl… credited with a quarterback hurry versus EIU… redshirted in his first season with the Garnet & Black. 

HIGH SCHOOL
Played defensive tackle and tight end at Marion (S.C.) High School, graduating in 2021… helped the Swamp Foxes reach the Class 2A state championship game as a senior in 2020… named the HSSR-SCHSL AA Defensive Player of the Year… posted 26 tackles with five tackles for loss and a pair of sacks as a junior in 2019… coached by Randall State… also played basketball… averaged a double-double on the hardwood as a junior, earning 6-3A Player of the Year accolades… rated as the eighth-best player in South Carolina, the 40th-best defensive tackle in the country and No. 662 overall by 247Sports Composite… Rivals ranked him as the seventh-best player in the state.

PERSONAL
Tanaeri J. Sanders was born July 30, 2003… is a criminology and criminal justice major who graduated in December 2024.