#90

T.J. Sanders

Former defensive tackle at South Carolina. 2024: 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 51 tackles.

DT · South Carolina · Jr. · #90

6′4″ · 290 lb · Marion, SC

CFB Index 91 · #7 of 285 interior linemenLow confidenceBuffalo — drafted 2025, Rd 2, Pick 9, #41 overall

The story

Former defensive tackle at South Carolina. 2024: 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 51 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Carolina in 2020.
Drafted round 2 by the Buffalo in 2025.

His career, year by year

Recruiting

3★

TE recruit

No. 2333 nationally · Signed with South Carolina

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

How it ended

Four seasons at South Carolina, 106 tackles — drafted at #41 overall by Buffalo.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2020

Signed with South Carolina3-star out of South Aiken

2021

Signed with South Carolina3-star out of Marion

2025

Drafted by Buffaloround 2, pick 41

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#2333 national

CFB

College

South Carolina

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #41

Buffalo · 2025

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

1 coach

2021–2024

Shane Beamer

South Carolina

Played his entire career under Shane Beamer.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

BuffaloEntering 2nd NFL season

#41Rd 2 · Pick 9

BuffaloEntering 2nd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Shane Beamer — 29-22 over that span.

2021South Carolina7-6HC: Shane Beamer · Run-leaning

2022South Carolina8-5HC: Shane Beamer · Balanced

2023South Carolina5-7HC: Shane Beamer · Balanced

2024South Carolina9-4HC: Shane Beamer · Run-heavy

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

91All-America level #7 of 285?

Low confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (95th percentile). Strength: sacks (93rd percentile).

Box-score production (6)

QB hurries#103 / 2892 · 95th pct

Sacks#177 / 2892 · 93rd pct

4.0

Tackles for loss#304 / 2892 · 89th pct

7.0

Solo tackles#566 / 2892 · 80th pct

Tackles#583 / 2892 · 79th pct

Passes defended#1155 / 2892 · 49th pct

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

2024 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	4.0	0.4	0.3	0.0
Road6g	3.8	0.7	0.3	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	4.0	0.3	0.1	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	3.8	0.8	0.5	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Shane Beamer

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Impact starter

Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

91 · #7 of 285 interior linemen

Three-star recruit. Now #7 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	South Carolina	51	29	7.0	4.0	1	--	--
2023	South Carolina	43	28	9.5	4.5	4	--	--
2022	South Carolina	12	5	1.0	1.0	1	--	--
2021	South Carolina	--	--	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		106	62	17.5	9.5	6	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2024

W 44–20

vs Texas A&M

2 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 SACKS

Dominant 24-point win at home against Texas A&M.

With L. Sellers — 244 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.5 · 106 rush yds (15 car) · 1 TD · R. Sanders — 144 rush yds (20 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 23-19vs Old Dominion	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 31-6@ Kentucky	4	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 3	L 33-36vs LSU	4	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 50-7vs Akron	3	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 3-27vs Ole Miss	9	7	1.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 9 tackles
Wk 7	L 25-27@ Alabama	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	W 35-9@ Oklahoma	3	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 44-20vs Texas A&M	2	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 11	W 28-7@ Vanderbilt	3	2	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 34-30vs Missouri	7	4	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 56-12vs Wofford	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	W 17-14@ Clemson	7	4	1.0	0.0	—	1
Bowl	L 17-21@ Illinois	2	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		51	29	7.0	4.0	—	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology