It may come as a surprise to some people in Arkansas, but there is a Rocket scheduled to touch down in Fayetteville in mid-January.
Rockledge, Fla., senior three-star wide receiver Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (6-2, 213), who has led his team into the state playoffs with a 6-1 regular season, is slated to be an early enrollee and excited about getting a jump start on his Razorback career.
The lone Florida pledge in Arkansas’ 2021 recruiting class ranked 22nd national by 24/7 and Rivals, Sanders is looking forward to Arkansas (3-3) playing at Florida (5-1) Saturday night.
“I am definitely loving how Arkansas has turned it around,” Sanders said of a program that had consecutive two-win seasons before bringing in new head Coach Sam Pittman.
“I feel like the biggest thing has been the change in coaching staff. I believe in Coach Pittman and it sure appears the players that are there now do too because of how hard they are playing for him and his coaching staff.
“I think it is about the energy they bring and that they are just great coaches who know what they are doing. They are not asking anything more out of the players than they are asking of themselves.”
Arkansas was picked to finish last in the the seven-team SEC Western Division, but sits in fourth after wins over Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
“I didn’t expect there to be this big a change right away, but it is happening already and I am fired up about it,” Sanders said. “I can’t wait to get up there to play with them and keep it going.”
Sanders has caught 19 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns, rushed 9 times for 157 yards and two more scores and returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns.
Rockledge’s first-round state playoff game with Desoto (0-10) scheduled for Friday was canceled due to Desoto’s withdrawal and the Raiders will now play the winner of Friday night’s Estero (2-5) and Cape Coral (1-6) match in a second-round game on Nov. 20.
“The season has gone really well for me and the team to be honest with you,” Sanders said. “I have had a really good average in terms of yards per touch and we have gotten after it on the field and are ready to get something done in the playoffs.”
“For us to get the Ws, we just need everybody to go out and do their own job, be it offense, defense or special teams,” Sanders said. “ I think we will be straight and take care of business.”
Sanders committed to Arkansas on June 8th, which is his birthday. He chose the Razorbacks over Oklahoma, Florida State, Missouri, South Carolina and others without having seen the Fayetteville campus.
“I have’t been able to get there because of covid, but I know it is the right place because of Coach Pittman, who gave me such a good vibe,” Sanders said. “Also, I loved the strength and conditioning coach (Jamil Walker) that came with him from Georgia as well as Coach (Justin) Stepp and (offensive coordinator) Coach (Kendal) Briles.
“Coach Stepp is a great man. He goes about his business, but he keeps it real, whether it is bad or good. I feel like he will have my back, school wise and on the field.
“Put all that in with the fact that I got to look at the school and the stadium (virtually) and I can just tell it is just exactly what I need.”
He is a big fan of Arkansas star wide receiver Treylon Burks.
“Treylon, he’s different,” Sanders said. “He is one of those guys that just plays on a different level than about everybody else. He’s big, strong, fast and can catch anything that you throw near him. Like I said, he’s just a different dude.
“I can see myself playing along with him and the other great receivers we have coming in and it just being so tough for SEC defenses to slow us down. I’m not saying I can come in and achieve what he is doing right away, but I’m not going to say I can’t either. I know I can play right away.”