South Carolina football has its first game-changer of this portal cycle. Multiple sources are now reporting that Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is expected to commit to the Gamecocks, though he hasn’t posted anything publicly yet.

After a 2022 transfer portal cycle where the Gamecocks landed their future top running back out of the transfer portal from division II Newberry, they went even bigger this time. Former Arkansas running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders officially committed to South Carolina after taking an official visit to Columbia the first weekend after the portal opened.

Sanders has been one of the most dynamic running backs in the SEC when healthy. He started all 13 games for the 2022 Razorbacks, a team with current South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains on its staff. Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns. Injuries derailed his 2023 season though, as he picked up a knock in the season-opener and never got back to 100 percent. He only appeared in six games and took 62 carries all year, although he did manage to fight through for one 100+ yard game in an overtime win at Florida.

This will be the immediate replacement for Mario Anderson Jr. after he entered the transfer portal himself, an upgrade for South Carolina’s backfield with one of the top backs in the conference. JuJu McDowell. Djay Braswell and incoming freshman Matthew Fuller round out the running back room behind Sanders.

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