Northeast DB recaps official visit to Columbia

Kaj Sanders had been on campus in Columbia prior to this weekend, but his 48-hour official visit from Friday until Sunday represented his most in-depth look at the Gamecocks yet.

“Everything went really good. It went better than I thought it would,” Sanders told GamecockCentral.com of the trip. “I spent a lot of time with the players, coaches, it was a great experience.

The 6-foot, 175-pounder hung out the most during his time in the Palmetto State with Gamecocks defensive backs Emory Floyd and Nick Emmanwori.

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“They were both really cool guys,” said Sanders. “When I was hanging out with the players and other recruits, we were hanging out with each like we had known each other for years or months.”

USC defensive backs coach Torrian Gray seems to like Sanders’ positional versatility, telling the prospect that he could be a safety or a corner at the next level

“The message from Coach Gray and Coach Beamer was that they love my parents, my family, how I am as a player,” he said. “If I were to go there, if I try really hard, I have a chance to play and be a great player in the SEC.”

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A one-on-one with the Gamecocks’ head coach was on the docket for the conclusion of the official visit.

Said Sanders: “I think Coach Beamer’s a great person and great coach. I had a meeting with him and my parents toward the end of the official, just us. It was really good. He told me a lot about the school, NIL, what he thinks of me as a player and my parents.”

The On3 Industry Ranking tabs Sanders as a three-star prospect and as the country’s 37th-best safety prospect. On3’s evaluators are the highest in the industry on Sanders’ potential, ranking him individually as a four-star prospect.

Penn State is the current leader for Sanders’ services according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, with a 27 percent chance of landing him.

UNC is up next on the official visit docket for the Garden State prospect, with that trip set for this weekend. Penn State will also get one the weekend of June 23.

“After these officials, I might drop a top five, or I might just wait until July 30 to commit,” said Sanders. “I would say South Carolina, Wisconsin, Penn State, UNC, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Rutgers are standing out right now.”

What will he be leaning on primarily as he sorts through his options and tries to come to a decision this summer?

“I think the most important factor is going to be my relationship with my coaches,” he revealed. “I’m going to be with them basically for three or four years. I’m going to be with them basically more than my own family, so I need to have a great relationship.”

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