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CJ Sanders is #3 and this makes him next in the player profile series we are doing this spring/summer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. CJ is a 5’8 185 lb. slot receiver for the Irish. He is entering his junior year on the football field, having played in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He is from Granada Hills, California.
CJ Sanders biggest impact has been on special teams his first two years. He has been the primary punk and kick returner his first two years. His freshman year saw him achieve a 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Stanford and a 50 yard punt return against UMASS. This past season as a sophomore, CJ had two kickoff returns for touchdowns and averaged 25 yards per return. CJ Sanders is still trying to gain his footing as a full time slot receiver on offense. His playing time faded to end 2016 as he finished with 24 receptions for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Three Things To Know About CJ Sanders:
- He went to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.
- He has appeared in 9 movie or television shows, including when he played a young Ray Charles in the movie “Ray.”
- His father and stepfather both played football in the NFL.
YouTube Hot Fire
I Dub Thee...
CJ The Brave, Admiral of the Field.
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2017 Season Outlook:
CJ Sanders has proved himself the past two years on special teams. He will go into the offseason as the leader to take both punts and kickoffs. Some of his competition will be Chris Finke and Dexter Williams. As for being a slot receiver, CJ still has a lot to prove. Most of his receptions in 2016 happened during the first half of the season. Chris Finke and Kevin Stepherson ended up taking the bulk of slot receiver duties.
CJ Sanders showed flashes of being an outstanding slot receiver. This upcoming training camp in August will be huge for him. He needs to regain the trust of the coaching staff and show he is capable of performing all season long and not just in spurts. In order to be a starter on offense he will have to beat out the aforementioned Chris Finke and Kevin Stepherson.