Braylon Sanders set for final Ole Miss home game: “It's been a long time coming.”

Braylon Sanders will play his final game inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, putting the final touches on an Ole Miss career that has seen as many ups as downs.

The receiver out of Hogansville, Ga., arrived in Oxford in 2017 and since then has been trying to become another standout receiver like Elijah Moore, A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf and those before them.

Unfortunately, Sanders has also had a career plagued by injuries over the past four years, including this season.

Despite all that, Saturday is a day that Sanders has been looking forward, too, and he understands the importance of his final home game in a Rebel uniform.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Sanders said. “My last one in the Vaught. It’s going to be special, man. Just to have my family and friends here and hopefully go out with a dub. That’s our plan, go 1-0 this week. This will be my last game in the Vaught, so make it the best one.”

With injuries piled up over the course of his time at Ole Miss, this year was nothing new to Sanders.

However, it still frustrated him with having to deal with yet another setback.

Sanders has worked through shoulder and leg injuries throughout the middle portion of the season but has since returned to the field, beginning in small doses against Auburn and gradually increasing his presence in the Liberty and Texas A&M games.

Knowing his time was running out and the number of games remaining were running low, Sanders made it a point to get back onto the field at some point this season to be able to play on Saturday.

“It was definitely a big goal of mine just to get back and be able to finish the season strong,” Sanders said. “Just continue to work hard and continue to get ready for the next level.

“Definitely (frustrating), but I just put my head down and keep working. Going to rehab every day and just let the coaches and trainers take care of me and doing things on my own to get back to where I am now.”

Without Moore on the field this year with the Rebels, Sanders became the seasoned veteran in the locker room.

He always expected to be the leader to the rest of the receiving corps.

Sanders, along with Jonathan Mingo and Dontario Drummond, were the starters and the main three targets for quarterback Matt Corral. Unfortunately, the injury bug has plagued all three of them at different times.

Sanders and Drummond have returned to the field with Mingo possibly not far behind.

The 2021 season has been Sanders’ best in a Rebel uniform, with career-highs in catches (18) and receiving yards (429) with two more regular season games to go. He currently has three touchdowns, one shy of tying his career best set during last year’s COVID-shortened season.

Once this season has closed, Sanders could be looking at an Ole Miss career with potentially more than 70 catches and over 1,500 receiving yards.

He has not taken the time to reflect back on his time as a Rebel, but that will come this weekend.

“It probably won’t hit me until Saturday, honestly, that this is my last time playing as an Ole Miss Rebel at home,” Sanders said. “Gotta go out the right way.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Sanders and every other college athlete was granted an extra year of eligibility. Most of the Rebel seniors took that option and returned for one more season.

That decision has led to this Ole Miss team with a chance to become the best in program history with the potential for a 10-win regular season and an 11-win season overall if they can win these next three game, including a bowl game.

There were no mincing words for Sanders when asked about his decision to return after the Outback Bowl in January.

“We started this journey early in January,” Sanders said. “Just working hard and doing what we got to do to just be the best team we can be. We’re showing it each and every Saturday and just continue to build on it.”

No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.