T.J. Sanders DT South Carolina | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
T.J. Sanders DT South Carolina
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.95 seconds (82%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 07/30/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 02/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.95 seconds (82%*) | |
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 07/30/2003 | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 86.8 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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73% |
| Pass Rush: |
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87% |
| Run Defense: |
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85% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Mid
Overall Rank:
#41
Position rank:
#15
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| College Games: 38 College Snaps: 1148 | ||
ESPN RATING: 78/100
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247 RATING: 87/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| DeMarvin Leal - Texas A&M |
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85% |
| Devonte Wyatt - Georgia |
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83% |
| Michael Hall Jr. - Ohio State |
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83% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Born into the small-town football culture of Marion, South Carolina, T.J. Sanders emerged as a versatile athlete who dominated both the gridiron and hardwood for the Marion High Swamp Foxes. The 6'4", 290-pound defensive tackle showcased his athletic versatility early, earning Player of the Year honors in basketball while leading his football squad to the Class 2A state championship game as a senior. Despite being a relatively unheralded three-star recruit, Sanders chose to stay home and attend South Carolina over several Power 5 suitors.After a redshirt season in 2021, Sanders steadily climbed the depth chart for the Gamecocks, turning heads during spring ball and earning the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring award in 2023. That momentum carried into a breakout redshirt sophomore campaign where he led the defensive line with 43 tackles and paced the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, including a statement performance against Georgia that earned him SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Sanders saved his best for last in 2024, starting 9 games and earning First-Team All-SEC and Third-Team All-America recognition from College Football Nation while being named SEC Interior Defender of the Year. His consistent disruption in the backfield (7.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks) and improved run defense led to 50 tackles, including multiple dominant performances against SEC competition that cemented his decision to declare early for the NFL Draft.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Violent hands pack serious pop at the point of attack, showing the ability to jolt centers off balance and create immediate separation in one-on-one situations
- Natural leverage and flexibility through his hips enables impressive cornering ability rare for an interior defender, consistently squeezing through tight creases to affect the quarterback
- Advanced pass rush repertoire featuring a devastating rip move and crafty inside scissors counter that consistently puts interior linemen in recovery mode
- Scheme versatile player who lined up everywhere from 0-tech to 5-tech, showing ability to be effective from multiple alignments and techniques
- Consistently active hands at the line of scrimmage led to multiple batted passes, displaying excellent awareness and timing in the passing lanes
- High-level competitive toughness showed up repeatedly against top SEC competition, notably in a dominant performance versus Georgia despite the loss
- Natural short-area quickness and lateral agility make him a weapon on twist games and stunts, showing ability to redirect and accelerate through interior gaps
- Explosive first step off the snap allows him to consistently win the race to the gap, particularly devastating when slanting or running stunts across the face of guards
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Tends to play with inconsistent pad level, particularly against double teams where he can get too high and lose his anchor at the point of attack
- Lacks ideal mass and pure power to consistently hold his ground against vertical drive blocks, can get displaced when offensive linemen get into his frame
- Conditioning needs refinement as impact noticeably wanes late in games, particularly evident during extended drives in the fourth quarter
- Run fits can be inconsistent when forced to process multiple blockers, occasionally losing gap integrity when working through traffic
- Will occasionally stop his feet on initial contact, limiting his ability to convert speed to power and sustain his bull rush through contact
Scouting Report: Summary
Sanders shows intriguing potential as an interior pass rusher with legitimate juice off the ball. His performance against Georgia was eye-opening - the way he split double teams and cornered through the A-gap showed rare movement skills for a 290-pounder. But that same game also highlighted his limitations, as he wore down late and struggled to maintain his anchor against sustained double teams.The run game remains a work in progress. When his technique is on point, Sanders can be disruptive - his backfield penetration against Missouri's zone scheme was textbook. However, his pad level becomes erratic when faced with power running attacks, and his lack of mass shows up when teams run directly at him. He'll need dedicated coaching to develop the technical consistency required for three-down duty at the next level.
Sanders profiles as a designated pass rush specialist early in his career who could develop into more with time. His first-step quickness and natural pass rush instincts will earn him immediate snaps in sub packages, but his path to becoming an every-down player depends heavily on adding functional strength and improving his consistency against the run. The tools are there for him to become an excellent starter, but expecting immediate three-down impact would be setting him up for failure.
Written By:
Wyatt Brooks (SEC)
T.J. Sanders percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate T.J. Sanders (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
54.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
17.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.