The 6' 0", 188 pound cornerback was starting
in a secondary which included Cameron Demps (Virginia Tech commit), Derrick Bryant
(LSU commit), Phillip Davis (Tulane signee), and Kavoscee Simpson.
There
Brandon was going from never playing varsity football to being a key member on
a star studded secondary that led the way for Peach Tree Ridge's Class 5A State
Championship.
"We were playing Stevenson in the quarterfinals (of
the playoffs), and I saved the game on the goal line when I intercepted the ball
to put us in the Georgia Game (for the semifinals). That gave me a lot of confidence,"
added Ole Miss commit, Brandon Sanders. "After I started learning the game
of football, my confidence improved every week."
Sanders was one
of the state's top pee wee rushers but a knee injury changed everything.
"My
mother told me I could not play football anymore, so I played basketball in junior
high and high school. I just kept bugging her every year to let me play football,
but she never gave in until my junior year. I always knew I would excel in football.
I had the natural skills; I just needed to get in some reps."
Brandon
had a secondary high 88 tackles as a junior but believes he is headed for an even
bigger senior campaign.
"Last year I just got by on my God given skills,
but this summer I worked on a lot of drills to improve my footwork. I have gotten
a lot bigger, faster, and a year of football has helped me learn about the game."
Sanders
was playing at 188 last year, but he has put on a solid 10 pounds of muscle.
"I
am right at 6' 1", 197 now. I was up to 205 before camp started, but I have
dropped some weight because they run us like a track team. I feel good at 205
though. My body fat has actually gone down. I am running a 4.5 flat now, but I
want to get that down in the 4.4's. I feel like I am in the best shape of my life.
They also plan to put me in at WR and some safety on running situations."
Brandon
was name as one of the Team Captains for Peach Tree Ridge and that played a role
in his decision to go ahead and commit to the Rebels.
"There were
other opportunities on the table when I decided to commit to Ole Miss. But I prayed
and prayed about it and talked it over with my parents and decided to go ahead
and commit to Ole Miss. I am a team captain, and I needed to focus on us repeating
(for a state championship) and not recruiting. I love the SEC. I believe it is
the best conference and the most competitive conference in American, but my focus
was on Ole Miss and just not them being in the SEC. The thing that got me wsa
that I knew how genuine they were with me. I know they actually care about me
as a person, not just as the football player. I talk to Coach Freeze just about
everyday, and I know he is going to take care of me when I get there. I think
they are a good school, with a beautiful campus, and they are building a great
team. I also feel like God wants me there. I did a lot of praying, and Ole Miss
just kept coming to my heart."
When Sanders committed, it actually
opened the door for more schools to get involved
"I started getting
more mail than ever after I committed. I would say I am getting two to three times
the amount of letters from other colleges as I did before I committed. I also
started getting some new interest from schools like North Carolina State, Indiana,
Purdue, and Central Florida. I think it opened up some eyes when I committed to
Ole Miss. Not a lot of schools knew about me because it was my first year of playing
football and all, and to be honest, I am expecting more offers after they see
me play this year."
Could this leave the door open for the competing
schools?
"My verbal is solid. I would not have committed if I did
not plan on sticking to my word."
Has Brandon had a chance to set
up his official visit with Ole Miss yet?
"I am going up there either
for the Missouri or Florida game, and I will just probably stay up there for the
weekend and let it be my official visit. But I want to go to the Florida game.
That is what I am shooting for. Zach Graham, who was our QB for us last year,
is actually playing basketball for Ole Miss. He wants me to come over for the
Florida game, so that is what I am going to shoot for."
Watch Video