Just how good can Rocket Sanders be for South Carolina?
Set up for a first down play, Raheim Sanders took a handoff from his quarterback KJ Jefferson. And just like a rocket launching from the ground, he took the handoff and bursted out to find a hole.
As he cut right, he moved back left and went straight forward. One tackle broken. Threw a second defender off him to his left. He found space and picked up 13 yards before finally being brought down.
Six plays later, Sanders pummeled into the end zone from one yard out for a touchdown. It capped off a 13-play, 63-yard drive in which he got the ball on seven of those plays. This all took place on the first drive of an Arkansas game against South Carolina back in 2022.
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And now nearly two years later, the Gamecocks will cross paths with Sanders again, this time to join forces. The All-SEC running back announced his commitment to South Carolina on Wednesday after spending three years at Arkansas.
That game which took place two seasons ago was just a glimpse of what Sanders can be for the Gamecocks. In a way, he could be the missing piece to what South Carolina has needed to be successful: a consistent run game.
When healthy, Sanders has proven to be one of the best running backs in the country. In 2022, he ran for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
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It’s been a while since South Carolina has had a rusher of his caliber. Kevin Harris was the last Gamecock to run for at least 1,000 yards in a single season. He did it back in 2020 with 1,138 yards.
Since then, the production from the run game hasn’t been the same. It had gotten to a point where other teams had a good idea the Gamecocks would throw the football more times than not.
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But now, with Sanders joining the team next year, that changes things. South Carolina will not only have him but North Texas running back Oscar Adaway in the backfield as well. While it’s unknown who will be lining up at quarterback for the Gamecocks, one thing is clear. This team should be able to run the ball much better and more consistently.
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Now, there is one caveat to pay attention to. While Sanders has proven to be a great running back, he has dealt with some injury issues. He battled through a knee injury in 2023, which caused him to miss some time.
Sanders’ production was nowhere near what it was one year prior. He carried the ball 62 times, rushing for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He only had one game in which he rushed for more than 100 yards. Go back to 2022, and he had seven games with 100-plus yards on the ground.
So in short, what the Gamecocks get from him comes down to if he can stay healthy. Because when he is out there, the results speak for themselves. And it’s not just what he can do in the run game; He’s also a good pass-catching back. In 2022, Sanders caught 28 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.7 yards per catch.
As of right now, though, it seems South Carolina has found what could be its next great running back.
