Each Wednesday we feature an in-state prospect that could be flying under the radar of college coaches. This week's UTR prospect is Springdale’s E'Kyious "Chops" Sanders, who transferred from Springdale Har-Ber.
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DE-OLB
SIZE: 6-3, 220
SPEED: 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash
STATS: (played with labrum tear in shoulder) 30 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 QB hurries, 1 interception
GPA: 3.8
OFFERS: Army, UCA, UAPB, Arkansas Tech, East Central University
SHOWING INTEREST: Arkansas, North Carolina State, Texas State, Air Force, Navy, Northern Iowa and others
COACH: Zak Clark
“The things that initially standout are his physical gifts, and he runs really well and [has a] long, rangy body.
"For me, I’ve only seen him up close this spring, but he’s phenomenal on the edge and plays in space. He was a corner and wide receiver through junior high and then he got bigger and stronger and really matured."
"He’s got some ball skills and skills in space that are probably not very common for an outside linebacker. He’s extremely athletic, and I think he’s versatile. I think he could play anywhere from an outside linebacker to maybe ... I think his best skill is an edge rusher. From what I’ve seen, he’s almost unblockable. He’s long and explosive. I think he could eventually grow into like a weak side defensive end or stay at outside linebacker. I think he’s a versatile player. I think that’s what’s intriguing to a lot of colleges."
COMPARABLE TO: Bentonville West DE-OLB Kendall Young
“I think they're pretty similar. Chops was hurt some last year and doesn't have the tape … but has a similar skill set. Chops is long and you can’t coach length."
NATURAL LEADER:
"He's fun to be around. He’s naturally a leader, and he does it because he’s a good kid and a good friend, and everybody on the team likes him. He smiles and likes to have a good time, but he knows when to get serious and work. He’s a good teammate, and he’s only been over here since January and he’s already established himself as one of our team leaders.”