No. 3 TCU will square off with No. 1 Georgia on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship for the honor of calling itself national champions, and it just got great news for the 2023 season. Former Alabama running back Trey Sanders, a five-star prospect in the Class of 2019, will transfer to TCU, he announced on Instagram. Sanders was the sixth-ranked running back in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
The 6-foot, 214-pounder from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was the No. 14 overall prospect in his recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and the No. 6 recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings that take into account ratings from multiple recruiting services.
Sanders is the third former Crimson Tide player to announce a move to the Horned Frogs recently. Wide receiver and punt returner JoJo Earle and offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer announced their plans to join coach Sonny Dykes in Fort Worth last month.
Sanders, who originally hails from Port St. Joe, Florida, rushed for 528 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the Crimson Tide. He finished the 2021 season second on the team in rushing behind Brian Robinson Jr. with 314 yards and two touchdowns -- which included 67 yards in the Cotton Bowl national semifinal against Cincinnati.
The early part of Sanders' career at Alabama did not go as planned. He tore his ACL in his first fall camp and was granted a medical redshirt. He had 134 yards rushing through six games of the 2020 season, but suffered serious injuries in a car accident during the Crimson Tide's bye week which ended his season.
Horned Frogs running back Kendre Miller is eligible for the NFL Draft, but he has not revealed his future plans. Backup running back Emari Demercado, who rushed for 150 yards in last weekend's Fiesta Bowl national semifinal win over Michigan, is a super senior and will be moving on after the title game on Monday.