25 Players in 25 Days: #5 Daymion Sanford

Position: Linebacker
Classification: Senior
Hometown: Katy, TX
Listed Height: 6-2
Listed Weight: 228 lbs.

Key notes from Liucci’s thoughts on Sanford

• Daymion Sanford has been a great story this fall camp. I have tried to prepare people for an earlier-than-expected return from Sanford. You cannot rush these injured players. It is vital for their health and career.
   
• You can't put a false timeline for a recovery to be rushed. Mike Elko has done a great job of letting these players recover naturally. With the Cyrus Allen situation, Elko set the expected return date much later than it actually was. The return date for Sanford is sometime this season. Elko knows it will be early in the season. The staff has been careful with him. He has started to look better and better. He looks like his old self. His injury looked terrible. Luckily, Sanford didn't injure his knee, and that allowed for a much shorter recovery time.
   
• Sanford has been a pivotal player and a leader for the team. His coming back from that injury shows a badge of honor. His stat sheet is very good as well. Once Sanford started playing last year, he really added an extra factor to the defense. He had the forced fumble against Missouri. He had some amazing plays against Notre Dame after filling in for an injured Scooby Williams. He had the crucial interception against Mississippi State. He was also involved in a fumble against Florida. He has been terrific since he started playing.
   
• He went to Elko and asked what he could do to get a chance. Whatever Elko told him worked, and he hasn't looked back. He isn't a finished product, but he is very good. As with anyone playing in the second level, including Sanford, Dalton Brooks, Marcus Ratcliffe and Bryce Anderson. They have to do a much better job with the run blitz. This defense got gashed at times last year, and most of it came when the running backs got past the line of scrimmage. I'm not sure how much Sanford had to do with the run defense struggles, but the secondary has to work on that as a whole.
   
• Sanford is fun to watch. He is a playmaker. What stood out to me this summer was when a scout asked me if I was watching DJ Hicks. He couldn't keep his eyes off of #27.