Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 21-28@ Boston College | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#1
Kaj Sanders
Junior defensive back on Rutgers's 2026 roster.
6′1″ · 200 lb · Newark, NJ · Bergen Catholic
CFB Index 45 · #316 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceReturning to Rutgers for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 434 nationally · Signed with Rutgers
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive back on Rutgers's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Rutgers in 2024.
- Kaj Sanders out for opener (Sep 3) Reported
Kaj Sanders
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. This is his third year in the same secondary at Rutgers. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Boston College — Week 2, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
202412 games
- Signed with Rutgers4-star out of Bergen Catholic
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Rutgers
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Rutgers
Played his entire career under Greg Schiano.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Greg Schiano — 12-15 over that span.
2024Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2025Rutgers5-7HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2026Rutgers0-2HC: Greg Schiano · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Greg Schiano
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
45 · #316 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #316 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #51 of 77 Big Ten DBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Rutgers
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Rutgers
Returning around him
- 1 Rutgers player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (15 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Rutgers · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #48 · 2026 recruiting class #36
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kevin Anderson’s 2020 season.
Matches Kevin on
Weight
PD rate
Height
Differs from Kevin on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Carter Davis's sophomore season at Boston College (2025).
85%match
Matches Carter on
Class year
Weight
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Kaj Sanders
Background
2025 Academic All-Big Ten 2026 (Junior): Picked to the Shriners Children's 1000 watch list (7/22). 2025 (Sophomore): Started all 12 games at safety ... named to the Academic All-Big Ten list (12/10) ... ranked third on the team with 65 tackles ... had multiple stops in all 12 games and at least f...
The secondary · Rutgers
- #1Kaj Sanders64 tackles · 2025
- #4Kevyn Humes16 tackles · 2025
- #20Chris Joines6 tackles · 2025
- #16Jessie Ofurie5 tackles · 2025
- #7Kevin Levy5 tackles · 2025
24 more on the roster · Rutgers team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology