| No. 0 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 27, 2003 Napa, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 252 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Billy Ryan (Denton, Texas) | ||||||||
| College: | Texas (2021–2023) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2024: 4th round, 101st pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Ja'Tavion Sanders (born March 27, 2003) is an American professional football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, earning all-conference honors in 2022 and 2023.
Sanders grew up in Denton, Texas and attended Billy Ryan High School, where he played basketball and was a wide receiver and defensive end on the football team. [1] He was named first team All-District 4-5A Division 1 at defensive end after recording 39 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three passes broken up while also catching 47 passes for 763 yards and 7 touchdowns on offense. [2] Sanders had 63 receptions for 1,161 yards and 16 touchdown receptions with three rushing touchdowns while also recording four sacks and an interception on offense and was named the co-MVP of District 5-5A Division 1. [3] [4] Sanders was rated a five-star recruit as an athlete and committed to play college football at Texas over offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. [5]
Sanders joined the Texas Longhorns as an early enrollee in 2021 and played on both offense and defense during preseason practices. [6] The team's coaching staff ultimately decided that he would play tight end. [7] Sanders played in all 12 of the Texas's games during his freshman season, primarily on special teams. [8] Sanders entered his sophomore season as the Longhorns' primary tight end after transfer Jahleel Billingsley was suspended for the team's first six games. [9] [10] Sanders was twice-named All-Big 12 before declaring for the 2024 NFL draft following the team's loss in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. [11]
| Texas Longhorns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 54 | 613 | 11.4 | 5 |
| 2023 | 14 | 45 | 682 | 15.2 | 2 |
| Career | 39 | 99 | 1,295 | 13.1 | 7 |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.69 s | 1.59 s | 2.70 s | 4.32 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 8 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [12] [13] | ||||||||||||
Sanders was selected in the fourth round with the 101st overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2024 NFL draft. [14]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career best |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2024 | CAR | 16 | 8 | 33 | 342 | 10.4 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 16 | 8 | 33 | 342 | 10.4 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |