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EarnestSanders IV
- position Wide Receiver
- height 6-1
- Weight 216
- class Redshirt Freshman
- Hometown Beecher, Mich.
- High school Beecher
2021 – r-Freshman
- Practiced with the team
2020 – Freshman
- Redshirt season
- Saw his first collegiate action at Auburn and also saw action vs. Vanderbilt
- 2020-21 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
High School
- Explosive, all-round athlete who excelled in football, basketball and track
- One of the top 20 recruits in Michigan as evaluated by ESPN and 247sports
- Also one of the nation’s top-100 wide receivers by the same two services
- First-team all-state as a senior by The Associated Press and Detroit News after catching 19 passes for 522 yards and seven touchdowns
- Also first-team all-state as a junior when he caught 42 passes for 1,047 yards and 15 touchdowns, rushed for six touchdowns, returned two kickoffs and one punt for TDs
- A four-year starter who helped lead Beecher HS to state playoff berths each of his last two seasons
- Coached by Courtney Hawkins
- Also a two-time all-state basketball player as a junior and senior
- Averaged a double-double in 2019 with 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game … Added 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game
- Averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds per game for a team that advanced to the final eight of the state tourney
- Candidate for Michigan Mr. Basketball
- Competed in the 200-meter dash, high jump and long jump for the track team, earning All-State honors
- Chose Kentucky over Michigan State
Personal
- Born in Flint, Michigan
- Son of Danielle Kelly and Ernest Sanders III
- His seven siblings are JaQualyn Kelly, Malik Wilbanks, Jacoby Sanders, Emiyah Sanders, Jamari Sanders, Emelia Sanders and JaCaylah Sanders
- Father, Earnest, played football as a strong safety at Michigan (1993-95)
- Major is pre-communication
Ernest Says
- His nickname is “E”
- He chose Kentucky because it felt like home and UK was a place he could better himself as a person and as a student-athlete
- Three words to describe him are fun, cool, and loving
- One thing most people may not know about him is that he can’t swim
- After football his dream is to be his own boss and run his own business