Sanders scouts Semper Fi competition
For most elite high school football prospects, postseason all-star games offer a fun way to showcase their skills in front of a national audience while also competing with some of the top prospects across the country.
Notre Dame commitment C.J. Sanders appreciates that part of the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, which will be played at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., on Jan. 4 and be televised live on FOX Sports 1. But for Sanders the game is also an opportunity to make a statement.
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“My goal is just to dominate and prove that I’m one of the best,” said the 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver from Sherman Oaks, Calif. “I’m excited. It’s a blessing to be able to compete with the best of the best. It’s a cool opportunity to see how I do against some of the best athletes. I’ll be able to push myself and see where I stand.”
Sanders isn’t waiting for bowl practice to begin on Dec. 30 to prepare for the spotlight. He’s spent the past few weeks on Hudl.com scouting highlights of the East team’s defensive backs.
He hopes that preparation will help him shine on the field.
“I’ve been looking at their Hudl pages and stuff to see what’s going on. It takes a little bit more time but on film you can see their tendencies and the things that they do,” he said. “They all look good. They’re all great players and they seem like great competitors. I’m just ready to compete against them. It’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
Sanders is one of six Notre Dame commitments who will play in the game.
Miles Boykin, Micah Dew-Treadway, Prentice McKinney and Brandon Tiassum will team up with Sanders on the West squad. Bo Wallace will play for the East.
That group is excited to play together and to further develop the friendships they struck up during the recruiting process.
“We have a big group chat so we’ve talked about it,” Sanders said. “I think it will be pretty cool to continue building that bond. We’ll get closer and by the time we get to ND we’ll have that special bond.”
Sanders also gets to play in front of his friends and family one more time as the game will be played about an hour from his hometown.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “A lot of my friends and a lot of my family are coming to the game. I’m glad it’s local so a lot of my family and friends will get to see me play my last high school game.”
Sanders, who recorded more than 1,300 all-purpose yards and scored 21 touchdowns as a senior at Notre Dame High School, hoped to play for a state title during his senior season. Instead, he had to settle for becoming a better player after transferring from Brentwood Academy in Tennessee.
“I’m pretty satisfied but there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I had a great experience coming from Tennessee. California is a lot better as far as competition and I feel like it made me a better player.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and assistant coach Scott Booker spent time with Sanders earlier this month during an in-home visit following the regular season finale.
“I was actually the first (in-home visit),” Sanders said. “It was cool. Coach Booker and coach Kelly came over and we just talked and ate some food. They told some jokes. We talked about everything, that’s what’s cool about it. We talked about football, obviously, and my expectations and stuff like that. We just built that foundation for our relationship, which is most important. We just laughed and joked around.”
Sanders will run track this spring which could limit his opportunities for visiting South Bend prior to enrolling at Notre Dame in June.
