Most Impactful Rebels for 2019: No. 16 Braylon Sanders
OXFORD, Miss. — As we count down the days until the Ole Miss season opener against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl, we are releasing who we think the Top 50 Most Impactful Players will be for the Rebels this season. This series is a way for Ole Miss fans to learn more about players to keep an eye on this fall.
With 16 days before kickoff, coming in at No. 16…
Braylon Sanders
Braylon Sanders (Photo credit: Josh McCoy, Ole MIss)
Braylon Sanders was a four-star prospect, according to Scout and ESPN, when he signed with Ole Miss in the Class of 2017. The Hogansville, Georgia native led Callaway High School to a 13-1 record his senior year, notching more than 1,000 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns.
As a true freshman in 2017, the 6-foot-0, 189-pound Sanders played in seven games which included a catch for 10 yards against Vanderbilt, two catches for 25 yards against LSU, and a 30-yard touchdown against Texas A&M. Last season, he appeared in 10 games with two starts at wide receiver. His 16 catches for 271 yards at a 16.9 yards per catch ranked second on the team, only behind D.K. Metcalf, with 21.9 yards per catch.
With the departure of A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and DaMarkus Lodge to the NFL, Sanders is the most veteran returning receiver, having played in 17 games and making 20 catches over the last two seasons. The only other player on the roster with close to the same type of game experience is slot receiver Elijah Moore who played in every game last season, earning starts in four of them.
Freshman in the house ⬇️ Ole Miss QB Matt Corral spoke highly of teammate Braylon Sanders today at #SECMD19 @chs_becallaway @CavsRecruits @OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/W9bcs5Fatb
— Brooke Kirchhofer (@brookechesney) July 16, 2019
The junior receiver recently spoke with The Rebel Walk at Media Day about how it feels to be the most veteran player in the wide receiver room. “It’s kind of crazy, you know,” said Sanders.
“These three years have flown by, so now I’m just applying all the things I learned from those other guys and teaching the young guys. I’m being a leader in the room and motivating guys.”
Ole Miss WR Braylon Sanders
Wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler also talked favorably about his junior pass-catcher earlier this month. “We don’t want to throw a lot on his shoulders, but he has played the most ball out of any of the guys in our room,” said Peeler.
“Him and Elijah have been in the battles and made plays in the SEC games, so we’re going to rely heavily on his experience. Unfortunately for him, he had an ankle injury late in the season and missed four games, but I do think he has taken on a leadership role that he’s kind of been thrown into a little bit. Hopefully, he’ll continue to build off his first two years.“
WR Coach Jacob Peeler
Sanders addressed his injury from last season and says he’s prepared for this upcoming season. “I feel much better,” continued Sanders. “Trainers have been working with me to just get me back healthy. I just feel like I’m coming back bigger and faster.”
As the Rebels headed into fall camp, Sanders was listed as the starting wide receiver opposite of redshirt freshman Miles Battle. Coach Peeler will use anywhere from 6 to 9 or 10 players in a game, but Sanders will be relied on to be a constant presence throughout the season.
“I just want to go out there and play ball. As a team, we just want to go out there and try to win a championship. We want to get better each and every week.”
Braylon Sanders
We fully expect Sanders to have a big impact on this offense this fall and his experience will be helpful for a young Rebels’ unit. Watch out for No. 13 on the field!
Hotty Toddy!
Most Impactful Rebels for 2019
16. Braylon Sanders
17. Eli Johnson
18. Myles Hartsfield
19. Dontario Drummond
20. Jon Haynes
21. Montrell Custis
22. Demarcus Gregory
23. Bryce Mathews
24. Royce Newman
25. Tylan Knight
26. Tariqious Tisdale
27. Octavious Cooley
28. Jalen Julius
29. Luke Logan
30. Nick Broeker
31. Austrian Robinson
32. Quentin Bivens
33. Willie Hibbler
34. Isaiah Woullard
35. Jadon Jackson
36. Grant Tisdale, Kinkead Dent, John Rhys Plumlee
37. Keidron Smith
38. Snoop Conner
39. Michael Howard
40. Vernon Dasher
41. Ryder Anderson
42. D’Vaughn Pennamon
43. C.J. Miller
44. Charles Wiley
45. Sincere David
46. Mac Brown
47. Jason Pellerin
48. Chandler Tuitt
49. Dannis Jackson
50. Jonathan Mingo
Derrell Hart
Derrell has covered Ole Miss athletics in the past for Rebels247 at 247Sports. He attended Delta State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Biology. He is currently pursuing his Pharm.D. at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy with an expected graduation of May, 2020.
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