The South Carolina Gamecocks had plenty of physical specimens on their roster in 2024, and one of the best examples of that was defensive tackle T.J. Sanders.
An All-SEC defender who made a significant impact in his redshirt junior year, Sanders has the chance to solidify himself as a top defensive tackle in a 2025 NFL Draft class that’s loaded at the position.
T.J. Sanders’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 297 pounds
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- School: South Carolina
- Current Year: Redshirt Junior
Sanders’ Scouting Report
Coming out of Marion High School in South Carolina, Sanders was a standout football and basketball player. He was named an all-state basketball player as a junior in high school. Despite this, he committed to play college football at South Carolina as a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports.
As a true freshman in 2021, Sanders played in just two games. He took a redshirt, giving him an extra year of college eligibility. He ended the season with one quarterback pressure on seven defensive snaps.
Sanders worked his way into the Gamecocks’ defensive rotation in 2022, playing 12 games in his redshirt freshman year. He ended the year with 16 total tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a pass deflection.
In his redshirt sophomore year, Sanders was able to step into more of a prominent role on defense, starting seven games in 2023. He had 43 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks. He also broke up four passes at the line of scrimmage, and his quarterback pressure numbers rose from just nine in 2022 to 27 in 2023, according to PFF.
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The 2024 season proved to be Sanders’ best collegiate season. He was a CSN first-team All-SEC player, CSN third-team All-American, and the CSN SEC Interior Defender of the Year, tallying a career-high 50 tackles. He also had four sacks, seven tackles for a loss and a personal-best 33 quarterback pressures.
Though he had another season of eligibility due to his redshirt year, Sanders decided to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after his redshirt junior season.
Strengths
- Offers front versatility, having thrived as a 1-technique, 3-technique, and 5-technique.
- Quick off the line of scrimmage, as he times his first step quite well.
- Powerful defensive tackle with ideal raw strength proportioned well throughout his frame.
- Has a sturdy anchor that helps him hold up blocks up the middle against the run.
- Shows some encouraging flashes in terms of his hand quickness, utilizing cross-chops and swims to shed blocks.
- Plays with violent hands, packing a powerful punch when he engages with blockers.
- Grip strength is above average, even for the defensive tackle position.
- Improved his spatial awareness against the run in 2024, showing off better ability to sense when to free up his hands to disengage and make the tackle.
- Does a good job of generating full extension in his arms when he locks up with interior offensive linemen.
Weaknesses
- Pad level is a pretty consistent flaw.
- Naturally rushes with a higher center of gravity, not generating proper knee bend in his lower half.
- Ability to convert speed to power isn’t as good as it has the potential to be, which comes down to regular leverage issues.
- Could still stand to quicken his internal clock and his ability to process as a pass-rusher.
- Athleticism in space is relatively average for the defensive tackle position.
- Consistency in how he works in counter moves at the point of contact against blockers could improve.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
In a pretty deep defensive tackle draft class, Sanders has managed to stand out as one of the more enticing players in the group.
A powerful 3-technique defensive tackle who also brings some juice as a penetrating 1-technique, Sanders appears to have the strength and improving technique to hold his own in NFL trenches.
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With solid overall quickness and an improving arsenal of moves to shed blocks, Sanders was a true impact player for South Carolina in 2024. He’s an effective run defender who brings enough pressure as a pass-rusher to entice NFL teams.
There’s still some room for Sanders to grow, as his pad level is a pretty consistent issue with his game. He’s shown development as a technician, but he still could use a little more work utilizing counter moves and taking on down blockers.
I have Sanders as an early third-round pick, but he could very well end up making his way into the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’ll likely end up in a defensive rotation pretty quickly in his NFL career, and if he develops properly, he could be a reliable starter along the interior for some time.