He hadn’t been home for a week and campus invites were flooding Eli Sanders’ phone as soon as his name dropped in the transfer portal.

First he hopped on a plane to East Lansing, and Michigan State, the very Monday and Tuesday the portal opened. Then came a trip westward, to Arizona, the following Wednesday and Thursday. Friday yo-yoed him back east to Arkansas. Saturday and Sunday was Virginia Tech. All of these programs pitching themselves, across the country, to one of the most productive backs in the portal, the 5-foot-11 Sanders coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns for New Mexico.

And then, on Sunday night, Sanders returned to his hotel in Virginia and checked his phone. There, waiting, was a text from USC running backs coach Anthony Jones. They got on a brief call, Jones inviting the Oceanside native to Southern California for one final visit.

It was over in a matter of days with Sanders committing to USC on Wednesday.

“Growing up a USC fan, definitely always wanted to play there, always wanted to at least attend school there,” Sanders, who went to high school in Arizona, told the Southern California News Group on Wednesday. “So, you know, having that opportunity was a dream. And once I got the opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up.”

It’s a much-needed import for USC, after a brutal couple of weeks of departures via the portal, including the departure of standout sophomore back Quinten Joyner. That left the program barren in the backfield coming off a 6-6 regular season.

Sanders brings intriguing upside with true game-changing speed, a back who averaged 7.2 yards per carry in a breakout 2024 season.

“I feel like I can take the top off the defense with my speed,” Sanders said, asked how he felt he could fit into head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC. “Fitting in with their run schemes, and their offense, how they get the back into space, just felt like the right fit.”

Sanders spent three years at Iowa State before transferring to New Mexico. The highlight of his ’24 season was a 16-carry, 173-yard performance in a victory over San Diego State.

Sanders adds to a running back room that includes current true freshman Bryan Jackson, who will have his own audition for USC’s RB1 job in 2025 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 27. Sanders repeatedly referenced the opportunity to “compete” in USC’s room as a large factor in his decision.

“I think everybody’s dream is to be the starting running back for USC,” he said. “So that’s what I’m trying to go in there to do.”

— Luca Evans

BOCA RATON BOWL

Backup Billy Atkins threw for 181 yards and a touchdown in his first start since 2022, leading James Madison to the program’s first bowl win after topping Western Kentucky 27-17 on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl.

JMU was without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who suffered an injury against Marshall on Nov. 30, and the Dukes turned to Atkins, who had just three pass attempts in the last two years.

Atkins went 4 for 5 on a fourth-quarter drive, ending in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Thompson for a 24-17 lead with 9:20 left.

George Pettaway finished with 100 yards rushing for James Madison (9-4). Caden Veltkamp led Western Kentucky (8-6) with 302 yards passing and two TDs.

PORTAL NEWS

Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer has announced that he is heading to Oklahoma.

The move comes two weeks after Oklahoma hired ex-Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle for the same position with the Sooners.

Mateer passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores for WSU this season.

Colorado has landed ex-Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter out of the transfer portal to possibly step in and replace Shedeur Sanders next season.

Salter figures to compete with five-star high school recruit Julian “JuJu” Lewis for the starting job.

Alabama All-America safety Malachi Moore will miss the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide’s bowl game against Michigan with an injury that had plagued him much of the season.

Moore, a fifth-year senior, was a second-team AP All-American after making 70 tackles with two interceptions and a team-leading eight pass breakups.