| No. 0 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (2003-03-27)March 27, 2003 (age 22) Killeen, Texas, 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 overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 3, 2025 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Ja'Tavion Sanders (born March 27, 2003) is an American professionalfootballtight end for theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns, earning all-conference honors in 2022 and 2023.
Sanders grew up inDenton, Texas and attendedBilly 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 defense 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 atTexas over offers fromAlabama,Florida,Florida State,Georgia,LSU,Notre Dame,Ohio State,Oklahoma, andTexas A&M.[5]
Sanders joined theTexas 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 transferJahleel Billingsley was suspended for the team's first six games.[9][10] Sanders was twice-named All-Big 12 before declaring for the2024 NFL draft following the team's loss in the2024 Sugar Bowl.[11]
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Longhorns | |||||
| 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 ft3+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 fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Sanders was selected in the fourth round with the 101st overall pick by theCarolina Panthers in the2024 NFL draft.[14] As a rookie, he played in 16 games and started eight games, finishing with 33 receptions for 342 yards and one touchdown.[15] He scored his first NFL career touchdown in Week 10 against theNew York Giants.
At the start of the2025 season, Sanders was listed as the startingtight end in the first unofficial depth chart.[16] He started in the first three games, catching 11 receptions for 92 yards.[15] In the Week 4 loss against theNew England Patriots, Sanders was ruled out with an ankle injury sustained in Week 3 against theAtlanta Falcons.
| 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 | |