Sanders says he’s aiming to win USC’s RB1 job in 2025, and is coming off a breakout 2024 with New Mexico where he ran for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns.

Originally Published: December 18, 2024 at 4:05 PM PST

The USC Trojans have landed a commitment from former New Mexico running back Eli Sanders over Arkansas, Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Arizona after he spent the last couple of days on campus. Sanders is the second player to commit to the Trojans, joining former San Jose State cornerback DJ Harvey since the transfer portal opened on Dec. 9. He was the No. 17 running back in the 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings and will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Sanders signed with Iowa State as a three-star prospect coming out of Chandler (AZ) High School in the 2021 recruiting cycle. He spent three seasons with the Cyclones, rushing for 703 yards and four touchdowns and added 15 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown before he transferred to New Mexico in 2024. This season he rushed for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 134 yards with the Lobos. Sanders announced on Dec. 6 that he would be entering the portal.

“Coach Lincoln Riley, coach Anthony Jones Jr. and the entire staff just made the whole experience at USC awesome,” Sanders told 247Sports. “It was a family oriented atmosphere there. It’s going to be close to home for me, too, just about an hour and half away from family in Oceanside. The offense is a great fit for me; I feel very comfortable running counter, going either inside or outside zone. It’s perfectly fitted for my skillset.”

Running back was a big area of need with Woody Marks headed off to the NFL following a stellar senior season. Marks carried the ball 198 times for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns. He became the first Trojans players to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since Ronald Jones in 2017 and earned Second-Team Big-Ten honors. Marks was a consistent threat out of the backfield, and he played with a toughness and passion that resonated with the entire team.

MORE: USC Trojans Program Falling Apart Under Lincoln Riley? Top Recruiting Classes Transferring

MORE: Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators Targeting Transfer Portal Receiver Zachariah Branch

MORE: Chicago Bears Rookie Caleb Williams On Pace To Break NFL Record Set By Aaron Rodgers

MORE: Ohio State Buckeyes to Land Transfer Portal Running Back Quinten Joyner From USC?

Redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner entered the portal when it opened on Dec. 9. Joyner carried the ball 63 times for 478 yards and three touchdowns this season. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry. The former four-star prospect in 2023 recruiting cycle possessed elite speed and had the ability to break a long run at moment. Joyner was an excellent complimentary back for Marks and stepped up throughout the season whenever his number was called. Ohio State has emerged as the favorite to land the former Trojans running back after a visit to Columbus last weekend.

“USC had two phenomenal backs last season and seeing their production, seeing how they were able to run the football, it’s definitely got me excited about my fit in the scheme,” Sanders told 247Sports. “It was definitely a dream school of mine growing up, going to games at the Coliseum and once I got the opportunity in the portal I knew I wanted to play for USC.”

Coach Lincoln Riley has looked to the portal to find his lead running back every season he has been at USC. In 2022, he signed Travis Dye from Oregon and Ausin Jones from Stanford. In 2023, it was MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina and then Marks from Mississippi State this season. And now it will be Sanders in 2025.

MORE: USC Trojans Offensive Lineman Elijah Paige ‘Never Had Interest’ in Transfer Portal

MORE: Quarterback Miller Moss Transfers to Louisville From USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley

MORE: USC Trojans Football Schedule: Grueling Road Opponents, Intriguing Home Slate In 2025

SUNLAND PARK, N. M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The troubled water utility company that serves Sunland Park and Santa Teresa is on the defense as the state issued them a “Notice of Violation” as for months they’ve failed to fix a water tank issue.

On Tuesday, the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) issued an alert, saying that it is sending letters to its customers clarifying why they missed a deadline to install a splash pad at the Tierra Madre storage tank, a move that helps prevent ground erosion at the base of the water tank.

According to the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) sanitary survey, the deadline for CRRUA to install that splash pad was May 31.

RECOMMENDED: Attorneys rally Sunland Park community for legal action against CRRUA

Six months later CRRUA said that “addressing this issue is a priority,” and that it has secured a contractor to review the erosion, and that it is working with engineers to develop a “cost-effective approach” to control erosion at that water tank.

CRRUA said it expects to finish this correction sometime in 2025 and stressed that the issue does not impact the quality of its water.

Below you can find the “progress checklist” which details all the deficiencies NMED found at CRRUA (the “checkmark” means those issues have been addressed and the “P” means CRRUA is in the process of correcting those issues).

The splash pad at Tierra Madre Tank is deficiency number 50.

The original deadline to address the 58 deficiencies was Dec. 15, but NMED granted CRRUA an extension, giving them until June 15, 2025, to finish the checklist.

On Monday, CRRUA boasted it has resolved 91.3 percent of the deficiencies, saying it only has to address five more issues before it’s in full compliance with NMED standards.

CRRUA claims significant progress, says its 91% compliant with state standards

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.