South Carolina Football: Gamecock running back room set to take off after signing Rocket Sanders

The Early Signing Period for college football began on Wednesday, and National Letters of Intent have been flying in from all over the country. While most of those NLIs are not sent in via fax machine anymore, commitments are not official until paperwork is completed. The South Carolina football program is hoping to have most of their class secured by the end of the Early Signing Period.

One of the players in the class who made things official is 4-star transfer portal running back Rocket Sanders.

Position: RB
Recruiting Ranking: 4 stars (On3, 247Sports)
Measurables: 6'2"; 225 pounds; 4.45-second 40-yard dash; 365-pound bench press; 515-pound squat
Former Player Comp: Harold Green

Rocket Sanders has been eyed by South Carolina football fans for a while. The Gamecocks finished near the top in Sanders' high school recruitment back when he was a wide receiver. Then, last year, there were lots of rumors that he was planning to hit the transfer portal and that South Carolina was high on his list if he left Arkansas. Now that he truly is transferring, it is only right that Columbia is the destination.

Sanders is big and fast, two great qualities for a team's top running back. Back in 2022, he was one of the best backs in the country, accounting for over 1700 yards from scrimmage. He missed most of 2023 with injuries, though, so until he is seen as fully healthy, there will be some question marks surrounding Sanders.

As one of the biggest running backs in the SEC, Sanders is reminiscent of fomer Gamecock Harold Green. Green stood about 6'2" and weighed near 225 pounds by the time he left Columbia. Sanders profiles similarly, except he is even faster when fully healthy.

Next year, Sanders is going to start for the Gamecocks if his knee and shoulder are healthy. He will be complimented by other backs, but he will get the first chance to be the man in garnet and black. Having played in a similar style offense (next to quarterback KJ Jefferson) as he will play next to presumed starter LaNorris Sellers, Sanders should be a great fit in offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains' system.

You can watch some of his film here.