Spencer offensive lineman Ye’Majesty Sanders commits to Jacksonville State

Spencer offensive lineman Ye’Majesty Sanders had a number of colleges that offered him a football scholarship. In the end, it was the first team to show interest that won him over.

Sanders committed to Jacksonville State on Sunday shortly after visiting the school. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Sanders ended his recruitment after receiving offers from seven different colleges.

“I just felt like it was home and I was comfortable there,” Sanders said. “I met with the coaching staff. Talking to the head coach, he opened me up just a little bit more.”

Spencer head coach Pierre Coffey said the Gamecocks were the first school to show interest in Sanders when they reached out about a year ago. Over that time, several of their coaches came by Spencer, which showed Sanders how much they valued him and allowed them to build a connection.

“I knew that they were there and they cared and they watched me develop as a player, as a person and as a man,” Sanders said. “They stuck with me from the beginning. I appreciated the patience.”

Coffey lauded Sanders for many of the traits he brings as a football player. Coffey said for his his size he’s extremely athletic, noting that even at his size he is able to dunk a basketball. He also pointed out he has good feet with solid hand-eye coordination, which creates much potential before he arrives at Jacksonville State.

“Those intangibles are the things that I think a lot of schools were attracted to,” Coffey said. “He’s 17 years old, so being 6-foot-5, 320 at 17, you can only imagine what he’s going to look like at 19 or 20.”

Sanders pointed out how pleasantly surprised he was by Jacksonville State on his recent visit. He said the people he met acted like they really cared about getting to know him, which helped him feel more comfortable in this new place. That plus the school’s relative proximity to home convinced him he wanted to be a Gamecock.

Looking back at his senior year at Spencer, Sanders said his favorite moment was running through the banner before a game. Surrounded by the other seniors, Sanders said the moment let him know the team was ready to take care of business once the game started. It was also something he knew he would miss going forward.

As much as he’ll miss suiting up for Spencer, Coffey and others around the program will miss him even more.

“He was one of our leaders and one of our captains on the football team,” Coffey said. “He led by example, and he led vocally. He was one of those kids that you wish you had five or six more just like. He’s a program changer.”

With his attention now set on college, Sanders said he is looking forward to getting settled into the team. He wants to display his leadership ability early and often despite his inexperience for the benefit of everyone around him.

“I’m just prepared to work,” Sanders said. “I’m going to get in shape and take care of myself. I really don’t know what to expect, but I know how to be myself and work hard.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Spencer offensive lineman Ye’Majesty Sanders commits to Jacksonville State."