The transfer portal keeps moving at the pace of a Rocket this offseason. Rocket Sanders, that is.
The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up a huge commitment in the portal from former Arkansas Razorbacks RB Raheim Sanders as they beef up their offense ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Raheim Sanders Transfers to South Carolina
Just days after starting running back Mario Anderson quietly announced his intentions to transfer, the Gamecocks wasted no time at securing some top-tier talent to replace him. Sanders enters the picture at South Carolina with his sights set on a career resurgence.
The final season at Arkansas didn’t go as planned for anyone involved. Sanders toted the ball just 62 times for 209 yards and two scores in a plagued year in Fayetteville.
However, the 2023 season is not nearly indicative of the talent Sanders brings to Columbia.
In the end, Sanders totaled 2,230 yards and 17 touchdowns during his three-year Razorback career. But the majority of that came in his breakout year of 2022.
Rocket broke out that season with 222 carries, 1,443 yards, and 10 touchdowns, flashing a dual-threat ability with 28 receptions, 271 yards, and another two scores.
It’s his bruising style on the ground that hides his supreme athleticism, and Sanders is destined for the NFL. At 6’2″ and 242 pounds, Sanders is not an easy task to tackle and he’s even harder to bring down in the open field due to his elusiveness.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
Aptly nicknamed “Rocket,” his speed is noted through player tracking data and showcased at nearly every turn in 2022.
While the picture was unclear about who was set to take the lion’s share of snaps from the backfield with South Carolina in 2024, the addition of Sanders breathes new life into the Gamecocks hopes for next fall. Sanders is familiar with their schedule and a proven home-run threat.
With his dual-threat ability, the Gamecocks would be wise to utilize Sanders in a full-time capacity. Perhaps that was the biggest draw to his transfer.
Time will tell how it pans out, but the addition of Sanders is a huge move in the favorable direction for head coach Shane Beamer and Co. A career resurgence awaits for Sanders.
Just like the NFL likely does after next fall.
