MARAUDER QB JOHN SANDERS ACCEPTS DI POWER 4 OFFER FROM BYU
Sanders will join Brigham Young in the Big 12 Conference after just one season at AVC.
After spending just one season in Antelope Valley College Football's revamped program, quarterback John Sanders has accepted an offer to join the Brigham Young University Cougars.
The signing with BYU, an NCAA Division I, Power 4 program competing in the Big 12 Conference, marks the most significant quarterback transfer in Marauder Football history. The NCAA Power 4 refers to the four elite, highest-revenue athletic conferences in Division I college sports: the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Ten, the Big 12, and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Sanders, a 6-foot, 190-pound freshman qualifier, was eligible to enroll and join the Cougar program ahead of Fall Camp. He guided his team to a historic 11-1 record, capped by a Western State Bowl victory, earning Bowl Game MVP honors in the process. In nine games, he threw for 2,083 yards while accounting for 24 total touchdowns, 19 passing and 5 rushing.
Despite missing two contests, Sanders finished the season ranked 2nd in passing yards (231.4) per game and 2nd in touchdowns (19) in the Southern California Football Association's American Metro League. John received an offer from Robert Morris following the 2025 season, but he ultimately chose to remain in the JUCO ranks and participated in spring practices at AVC, where he ran a 4.6 forty and showcased his ability to make high-level throws.
"John is a very talented football player, but more importantly, a great young man of high character who leads by positive example," said head coach Russ Gordon. "I have had the blessed opportunity to have coached a multitude of quarterbacks in my offense that have gone on to the next level, from DI to DII and NAIA, and they all have a few things in common... they're great students, they have high character, they lead by example, believe in we over me, and they want the ball when the game is on the line. John is every one of those and then some. If he continues to be a student of the game with his intense work ethic, the sky will be the limit," Gordon added.
